


Project Genesis

by alice_time



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Altered Memories, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempted Kidnapping, But Shield is rebuilding, Canon-Typical Violence, Family Feels, Fluff, Gen, Genetic Engineering, Genetics, Hugs, Hydra Happened, Long Lost/Secret Relatives, Past Child Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Raising children, Team as Family, Therapy, so many hugs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-05 08:11:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12790389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alice_time/pseuds/alice_time
Summary: In the 1960's, scientists made another stab at making super-soldiers. Lucy was the result. Now awake and free of the cryo-tube that was her prison, she's got a whole lot of catching up to do.And a whole lot to live up to.





	1. Chapter 1

I was dreaming. I guessed I was dreaming anyway, I didn’t have any real certainty of consciousness. And then I stopped dreaming and I was so damn cold. I was on the floor in a pool of cold water, it was dark and I couldn’t really see anything. I picked myself up off the floor. My clothes were wet and I couldn’t remember why that was. I walked right into a wall and felt for a switch, but even when I found it, flipping it didn’t do a thing.

Power was out.

It clicked. _That’s how I got out._ The soldiers had come into my room in the night and dragged me out of bed. There was a tube-shaped thing like a coffin standing upright in the middle of the floor. Cryo. They froze me. Put me on ice. I swallowed.   _How long had I been in there?_ I found a door by touch and it opened.

No light out here either. I knew the way without light though. I’d walked every hall in this bunker a thousand times. It was all I’d ever known. I headed back to my room first and got dry clothes. They smelled musty and I hadn’t run into a soul. _How long had I been in there?_

I went to my bed, it was dusty, but between the mattresses, just where I’d left it, was a locket. I put it on, tucked it into my shirt front and headed for the one place I’d never been—out. It was night when I made it out of the lab. I’d spent all my life in that underground bunker. Well, thirteen years plus however many years I’d been in the freezer.

I’d never seen the stars before. I mean, they were a bit masked by the light of the city on the horizon but…they were still so bright. The moon was high and full. I waved at the Man on the Moon for good measure and wished on the North Star.

Here’s hoping things hadn’t changed too much since 1962.

***

It turns out that spending your life training to be a soldier in an underground bunker does _not_ prepare you for the real world, especially not when the real world is more than fifty years ahead of you. I learned two things really quickly. Thing one, it was easy to steal food. Thing two, police officers were best avoided.

My first encounter with a policeman wasn’t my finest moment. I sort of broke his nose. After that, I avoided them wholesale. I got hit by a car my second week in the future, had a few scrapes, walked it off really but the driver freaked out and gave me a hundred dollars. I’d never even _seen_ that much money. I bought some clothes and stashed the rest. I took showers at the Y, grateful for the advice of a homeless lady I’d run into my second day. I repaid the favor of advice with food whenever I could. She was nice.

It was week three when I noticed I was being followed. It was a sensation I couldn’t shake. It was the hair on the back of my neck rising. Goosebumps on my arms. It was an itch between my shoulder blades. An uncertain echo of footfalls just after my own. I was walking down an alley, a stolen falafel stuffed down my shirt while it started to rain.

The city was a big place, I’d realized that right off. It made me feel safe because there were a million people. A thousand other kids on the street to blend in with. Keep a hat over your hair, slump your shoulders—be smaller and be safe. So when I felt a prickle on my scalp at first I just shrugged it off and kept going down the alley, the soft squelch of rain water beneath the soles of my sneakers.

Then there was a scrape and a clatter. I started, but it was just a cat. I shook off the feeling again but I didn’t take the straight path home. I went around the block, doubled back and zig-zagged my way to the flophouse I was squatting in.

As I settled down to eat, I didn’t feel anymore eyes on me. _I’m just paranoid._

***

I spent most of the next day in the library. Watching other people, I’d figured out how to use the computer and utilized the search browser to dig up anything I could about the project and the last fifty years I’d spent as a popsicle. A lot had happened. I was still trying to get my head around some of it. Mostly reality TV shows. What was the point of that?

I was just about through the nineties when I called it quits for the day. I’d been coming here nearly every day. As I headed out of the computer lab I spotted a teenager wearing a Captain America shirt. It wasn’t vintage or anything either. What was that about? Maybe they reprinted the comic books or something. The man’d been dead for seventy years.

I got food from a grocery store dumpster and was headed home when I got that prickle again. Okay, so maybe I wasn’t paranoid. I took a look around and listened. I thought I saw a flicker of motion just behind me.

I set the bag of food I’d scavenged down on the ground and backed toward the building wall. There were six of them. Three at the back of the alley and three at the front. Probably a seventh on the roof of one of the buildings too. That would make sense.

I wrinkled my nose. Suits, not military uniforms, but that didn’t mean much. They moved like military. Sort of. They didn’t have guns out, but that didn’t mean anything, I could see the lines of holsters under their jackets. I could smell the tang of gun oil.

I didn’t wait around to see what they were going to do. I took a quick tally of mass, determined the weakest link and plowed through them. A jab to the solar plexus and vaulted over his shoulders to kick out the back of his knees took him out and I started running. I heard a whole lot of shouting, but I had a good head start as they scrambled to follow me. I was faster than anyone in oxfords for certain. But to be fair, I was fast. Period.

I used my head start to find a place to hide and hunkered down until morning. I was hungry—really hungry. Cautiously, I headed out and bought some doughnuts before I found a completely new place to hide for the day. I spent six days like that before I felt confident enough to move to a new neighborhood and find a new library to hang out in. I was behind now, on my history lessons.

They gave me something to do though. I didn’t really have a life plan beyond surviving. I wasn’t even sure if the military branch that started Project Genesis was even still around. All I was certain of these days was that we weren’t officially at war with Russia anymore so all that Cold War propaganda I’d been spoon fed my whole life was—null.

At least my combat training was still good. I hadn’t been very limber that first week out of the freezer, but I was pretty much back to my old self these days.

“Hey there.” A teenage boy sat down at the computer station next to mine. “Never seen you here before.”

“I’ve never been here before.” I gave him a hard stare.

“What’s your name?”

“Jane.”

He smiled, like he’d won something. “I’m Billy.”

“Okay, Billy. I have to finish my homework so…”

“Ah, come on, I just want to talk.” He kept smiling.

“It’s a library, we’re supposed to be quiet.” I turned away from him. It wasn’t the first time I’d gotten interest from people. Given my fine genetics I’d turned out conventionally attractive, more than tall for my age and athletic.

My personality just wasn’t enough of a deterrent. Not yet anyway. I should work on that.

“We could go out to that diner on the corner,” Billy wheedled.

“Billy, I’ve tried to be nice, but if you don’t bug off I’m going to punch you in the neck.” I looked over my shoulder at him, smiling. “Are we clear?”

He blinked. “You don’t have to be a bitch.”

I continued to stare at him until he skedaddled. The bunker did not really teach me great interpersonal skills. I did know about a hundred ways to kill a man with a spoon though, so there was that. In the range I beat every record they threw at me. I broke barriers in gymnastics and on the track, in weight lifting. I was a physical prodigy and they had a tendency to forget about the mental side. They forgot Steve Rogers wasn’t just a muscle-bound puppet that followed orders.  

From my research, it seemed Captain Rogers had been a very bad soldier. Great hero, not good at following orders. I felt it was my duty as his genetic heir to emulate him. Plus, I sort of leaned that way anyhow. I didn’t know who the female half of my genetic equation was, but I inherited her green eyes and Steve’s blonde locks. I think I just wanted some sort of connection to something—normal.

At least I didn’t have to wear military fatigues or dresses anymore—unless I wanted to. The Army Surplus store was super cheap and the pants were very sturdy. And the boots. I liked the boots.

I was sleeping in a warehouse right then. It was abandoned, but there were offices and I’d found a cot in one of them so I didn’t even have to sleep on the floor. The door locked even so it was pretty cozy. Better than my last place. Warmer too.

I thought I would be pretty safe there for a while.

Except hiding in the warehouse wasn’t good enough, because only a couple days later—someone else found me. I woke up to the sound of footsteps echoing through the main warehouse. I rolled out of the cot and put my shoes on before padding out to see what was going on.

The first of the intruders I saw was a tall woman in casual clothes with dark red hair. She walked like a predator, a lioness stalking through the broken-down equipment and empty crates. There were more people blocking the exits, suits again. I made for the office that overlooked the work floor. If I could get onto the roof of it, I could climb up to a skylight and get out of here from the roof.

And then she was in front of me.

“It’s okay,” she said. “My name is Natasha. I don’t want to hurt you. Just come along quietly.”

“Uh—no?” I made a face and took off, she rushed to stop me and we ended up grappling. I’m stronger than I look. She was good—really good—and it was all I could do to brute force my way out of her hold and knock her back to the floor before running in the opposite direction toward a door, I’d just have to plow through the opposition there as well. Sometimes, being a human wrecking ball is the only option.

Except the opposition was an immovable object in the form a huge man with a hammer…wearing armor. What the hell? I blinked and threw a punch. For the first time in my life, it hurt to punch someone. I shook out my hand, brow furrowed.

“What are you?”

He smiled. “Thor.” He picked me up like I was nothing and slung me over his shoulder. I kicked him in the stomach and he tightened his grip around my legs. “None of that now, little one.”

“Put me down!” Thor. Like the god of thunder? That didn’t make sense.

“The Hawkeye should come down,” Thor said.

The redhead—Natasha, shouted, “Barton!”

“Now you get to spend time calming down,” Thor said.

I wriggled and kicked him again. “This is kidnapping.”

“You are not a goat,” he replied opaquely and we were off, me tightly controlled by the god of thunder, while Natasha trailed behind us with a bloody lip. I never saw another person, so I didn’t know who this Hawkeye person was.

There was an awkward car ride where I was wedged between Thor and Natasha in the back of a van and then they stuck me in a room that was pretty clearly made to hold people who weren’t typically deterred by things like walls, windows, doors... People like me. I figured this out after throwing things at the walls for a good hour, screaming, pounding, clawing and swearing at the top of my lungs. Finally, tired, I sat down in the middle of the mattress and tried to get a bead on what the hell was going on.

It could be the military again. Or the Russians... That might have been old paranoia talking though.

The walls were white, except for one, which was clear and window-like but for the whole refusing to shatter thing which made me think it was some kind of plastic. I didn’t have any windows in the bunker. The room didn’t look out onto the outside though, it looked out onto an observation room. There were chairs in it and a door that led out. There was a door out of this room too, but I couldn’t open it and there was no lock mechanism to reach that I could find.

I got bored and flopped onto my back. Bored might be the wrong word. I was tired, really tired. I hadn’t really slept in a few days. Before I really knew it, I was asleep.

***

“Good morning, little one.”

I woke up to Thor’s booming voice, too cheerful for anyone to wake up to. I sat up and glared at him. “I dislike you.”

“That is a shame, I have no such feelings toward you. Not yet anyway.” He smiled. “I brought you a meal.” He gestured at the table, which he had straightened, where a tray of food steamed and smelled of—bacon. I’d only had bacon once in my life and I’d been lusting after it ever since. I swallowed.

“You are hungry.”

“Well, yes.”

“Then eat.”

I was suspicious, but it wasn’t like it would work if they’d drugged the food. I metabolized that stuff too fast for it to work right. The military found that out the hard way. Well, Dr. Franklin was the one who ended up with a pen in his neck, but he was part of the military.

_And then they froze me._

I got out of bed. The mattress and I had been placed onto the frame while I slept, the sheets and blankets arranged and the room in general straightened.

Spooky. It was hard to believe I’d slept through it.

I padded over to the table and sat down in front of the food. There was a fork, and I thought that was pretty trusting of them. I picked it up and looked at Thor.

“If you try to stab me, little one, you will not be happy with my reaction.” He raised an eyebrow and stared at me.

I ate my breakfast and didn’t give into the urge to see what his reaction would be. I wasn’t that little. I was actually quite tall for my age. The doctors thought I would make six feet or so when I was full grown.

He took the tray away when I was done and I was left alone again for a bit, until Natasha came into the room.

I stayed on the bed.

“Hey there. You want to give your name?” She spun a chair away from the table and sat down.

In training, they used to tell me that if I was being interrogated I should only give my name, rank and serial number. But I didn’t have a rank, just a name and an experiment designation. Also, the bunker people could go screw themselves. “Lucy.” I clicked my teeth. “Where am I? Is this a military facility?”

“No. This is Stark Industries.”

“Like Howard Stark?”

“Tony.” She cocked her head to one side and looked at me intently. “Howard’s son.”

Well it had been a while. “Okay.”

“We tracked you back to an abandoned army research facility. There were tapes. Files. An empty cryogenic chamber.”

I bit my lip, pulling my arms around my knees to stop myself from rocking. “Yeah.”

“So you were part of the Genesis project. A super soldier project.”

“Yeah. I know that.”

Natasha leaned forward. “So you know that you were the only success they had.”

“Yup. And a girl. Oops. Damn. Can’t have a girl as a soldier,” I spat.

“Then you stabbed that doctor with a pen.”

“Yeah.”

“And they froze you.”

“Yeah, but I don’t know anything about what happened after.” I didn’t want to talk about this.

“Well, funding was cut and then a month ago power went out and emergency procedures activated and you were thawed. Then you went out and wreaked havoc on a team of Shield agents.”

“I don’t know what Shield is.”

“Howard Stark was Shield. Captain America was part of the early iteration of Shield. The SRS.”

“Captain America.”

“Yeah, that guy whose face you have in your locket. That guy whose genetic code you share.”

“Yeah.” I shrugged. “So?”

Natasha nodded. “You want to watch some TV?”

“I wasn’t allowed to watch TV.”

“Well, now you are.” She stood up and walked to the wall, tapping on it. A screen appeared from behind a panel and flickered to life. “Watch some cartoons. Relax.”

“Then what? Am I a lab rat again? Are you going to poke and prod at me?”

“No. You’re in this room because you don’t trust us, and we don’t trust you, not yet. When we trust each other, it won’t be necessary to keep you locked up.”

I looked away from her, uncertain of what I was supposed to say to that.

“Lunch will be at noon, do you want anything specific?”

“I’ve never had lasagna,” I said.

She smiled. “Lasagna it is.”

In the base, they’d never let me pick lunch. It was always bland, nutritious and boring. Since I’d been roaming New York, I’d had hot dogs and cheese covered pretzels, popcorn and falafel, tacos and churros and really anything that came off a food cart or out of a restaurant trash can—but they never had bacon. Now though, I had tasted bacon of a sublime nature and there was no reason to think that the lasagna would be different.

If I was stuck here, I was going to eat well.

***

Someone new brought me lunch. I watched closely this time. The door opened from the outside only, but it closed slowly. I could use that to my advantage. I stayed on the bed while lunch was brought in and the fellow left. I ate the lasagna. It was good. It was better than good actually.

I figured out how to work the television set and watched news programs.

I shut it off and explored the room more thoroughly. I ran my fingers over every wall, listening for sounds beyond them.

_We need better samples._ Someone was saying. _She could be unstable_.

I frowned. I was not letting people test me anymore.

_A blood panel, DNA sequencing. The lot._

I didn’t like the sound of that. I took a deep breath and considered my options. I was getting out of here. How could I know who they really were? They could throw out all sorts of names, lie to me. How would I know different? I couldn’t know for sure.

By the time the dinner tray came, I had a plan.


	2. Chapter 2

I made it to the elevator as warning alarms went off.  It went down two floors before it stopped. I wasn’t going to let that deter me. With the fork I’d saved I popped the panel open. It seemed the wiring hadn’t changed all that much since I was frozen. Without any concern for my own personal safety regarding electrocution, I restarted the elevator via an override and rode all the way down to the lobby floor.

Where a whole bunch of people were waiting for me.

Thor hadn’t yet arrived, so I stood a good chance of making my break.

Sure, the army might have decided I wouldn’t make a good soldier, but that was only after spending most of my life trying to turn me into one.

I still wasn’t sure I could take on the whole lobby though.

Not bare handed.

I disarmed the first person I could. The gun looked different from the ones I was used to, but that wasn’t going to stop me. I figured it out quick enough and fired a warning shot into the air. A fellow pulled something from his pocket, it was slim and black and looked mildly dangerous. I shot it out of his hand.

I had always enjoyed the range.

“Now, now, put down the gun.”

I looked at Thor. His hands were empty and raised in a peaceful gesture. I pointed the gun at him. “You might be tough, mister, but I bet a bullet in your brain will still kill you. Back off.”

He gave me a very disapproving look. “That is not very polite.”

“Okay, miss, we all get the point now. Why don’t you put down that gun and we’ll talk?”

That was a new voice. I turned my head to get a look at the speaker. I damn well almost dropped the firearm in surprise. I felt my jaw drop as I gaped. “You’re—you’re Captain America.”

It was him. The tall blond man from the movies they used to show me.

“I don’t understand, you’re supposed to be dead.”

“Well, I was on ice for a little while. They found me, thawed me out. We can talk all about it if you just put down that gun.”

“I’m not a lab rat,” I said. “You promise me. _You_ promise me I’m not here to be a lab rat and I’ll put it down.”

“I promise. You aren’t a lab rat, Lucy.”

He knew my name. I swallowed. “Okay.” I set the gun down and kicked it away. Everyone was still cautious though. He walked up to me, hands on his hips.

“Now, why don’t you apologize to Carl for almost shooting him in the hand?”

“If I’d wanted to shoot him in the hand, I would’ve.”

“That’s true,” another stranger said. His hair was dark and he needed a shave. “I’ve seen the range footage. She’s a crackshot.”

“See? I wasn’t gonna hurt him.”

“You broke his phone.”

I wasn’t sure what to do, but I was starting to feel—guilty. Captain America was disappointed with me. I swallowed. “Fine. I’m sorry, Carl.”

“For?” Cap prompted.

“I’m sorry for shooting your phone—which looked very dangerous.”

“Good. Why don’t we go back upstairs, and you can apologize to Dave for hitting him in the head with a chair?”

I made a face.

He put a hand on my shoulder. “Lucy.”

“Fine.”

Thor chuckled. “She is headstrong.”

“Oh, I wonder where she got that from,” Natasha said, appearing from the crowd. “All right everyone, nothing to see here. Move along.”

The crowd dispersed as I was steered back to the elevators and up to the room where Dave was being seen to by a medic. I gave a perfunctory apology that was barely adequate before I was taken to a different suite.

I was sat down on a couch and Cap took a seat in a chair across from me. He stared at me for the longest time.

I broke the silence. “Can I have your autograph?”

“What?”

“Seriously though. Can I?”

“Sure.” He blinked. “I can do that.” He leaned forward on his elbows. “So. You’re my daughter.”

“Biologically, yes.”

He nodded. “You’ve been asleep for a long time, we have that in common. I want to help you get reacquainted with the world. Maybe—I mean, I always wanted to be a dad. Not exactly like this but…”

“I’m not really looking for a parent. I’m pretty self-sufficient.”

I’d kind of had to be. Closest thing I’d had to a parent was Dr. Harrison and Colonel Stanwick and—well I stabbed one of them and the other one had me frozen. And I held a grudge.

“You’re enough like me that I know that is both true and not true.” He smiled. “When I first woke up I broke out of the Shield facility I was recuperating in when I realized it wasn’t kosher. I can understand not wanting to be an experiment. We’re still going through all the files we pulled out of the bunker where you were kept. Still trying to figure out exactly how they made you.

“More importantly, it’s not safe on the streets for someone like you. You don’t know this era yet. You didn’t even recognize Gary’s phone as a phone. And then there’s Hydra.”

“Like Nazis?”

“Not exactly. Not that long ago, Hydra destroyed Shield from the inside out. They’d been lying in wait for decades. Now Shield is a fraction of what it used to be and Hydra is still out there. They would kill to have you, Lucy.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“You’ve had to take care of yourself, you don’t have to anymore. Let me help you, Lucy. Let us help you.”

 _Not like you’ve got anyone else offering_. Not like I hadn’t secretly dreamed of meeting Captain America since I was two. Not like I hadn’t imagined him saving me from the bunker. Of being a family. I thought I’d outgrown stuff like that but…I knew I hadn’t.

“And if I want to leave?”

He sighed. “You know we could stop you from leaving.”

“I do.”

“If, if you’re dead set on it, they we would make alternative arrangements for you. Whatever you decide, Lucy, we can’t just let you go. I won’t let Hydra dissect a child.”

I had very little doubt, given what I’d read about Hydra, that could be my fate if I ended up in their hands. I’d prefer not to be dissected.

I took a breath and looked back at Steve. “I only have one more question then.”

“Ask.”

“What the hell is Thor?”

He laughed. “An alien.”

“No.”

“Yup.” He raised his hand. “I swear.”

“Wow.” I shrugged. “Well, you guys do have good food. I guess I’ll stay.”

“Okay.” He smiled. “You want pizza for dinner then?”

“Can they put bacon on it?”

“Sure.”

I settled back into the couch and exhaled. Captain America. I pinched myself. _Not dreaming._ And aliens. Gorgeous, tall, muscular aliens. Things sure had changed since the sixties.

***

Pizza arrived with an entourage. Natasha, the man who remarked on my shooting, Thor, a fellow who could only be Tony Stark given his clear likeness to his father, and another stranger. He held himself with his shoulders slouched inward, there was a rigidness to his posture. Dark mussed hair gave him the look of having just gotten out of bed, but his clothes were neat.

“Introductions seem to be in order,” Thor said.

“I know some of you,” I replied.

“I’m Clint Barton.” I think I liked him.

“Dr. Bruce Banner.” Mr. Sleep-hair was a doctor? Huh.

“Tony Stark.”

“I figured that one out,” I replied.

“Your ego must proceed you,” Natasha remarked.

Steve laughed.

I smiled, somewhat embarrassed. “You look a lot like your father,” I added.

“Oh, thank you.”

“So…” Natasha settled down on the couch next to me as pizza was passed around. “You’ve decided to stick around with us then?”

“I didn’t really have much of a choice, did I?”

She made a face. “This is probably the best one you have, Lucy. We’ll feed you better than you were getting on the streets and we won’t try to shoot you or take your organs.”

“That’s nice to hear.” I knew that they were all sort of watching me as they settled in around the pizza, which was somewhat unnerving but also expected. I was a wild card in this gathering.

“How exactly did you override my elevator security?” Mr. Stark asked.

“I had a fork.”

His eyes narrowed. “A _fork_.”

“A fork I pried the panel open with and then I looted around until I found the emergency overrides and set it to think the building was on fire.”

“Oh. Brilliant.” He shook his head. “Have you ever used a computer?”

“Of course, at the library. I’ve been learning history mostly, but I thought some basic computer engineering and mathematics would come in handy, so I brushed up on the newer technology. I hadn’t quite gotten up to some of the newest stuff, but elevators are pretty basic machines behind all that stainless steel and the fancy buttons.”

“Oh. And you’ve been unfrozen for how long?”

“About a month. I know, I’m really behind.” I shrugged. “I’ll catch up.”

“I don’t think she knows normal people don’t just know how to override elevators,” Dr. Banner remarked. “You were raised completely isolated from other children?”

“Of course.” _It was just me. Only ever me._ I had to remember that. _Just me._ “They had to maintain the integrity of their experiment. Didn’t want me learning any unsavory habits. Free thinking, lock picking—civil disobedience.”

“I think they failed in this.” Thor was on his sixth slice of pizza.

“Of course. You can’t have a bunker full of scientists and soldiers and expect them to keep things clean all the time. A subscription to the New York Times, courtesy of Captain Farrow, and the Captain America comic books Dr. Slate used to sneak in for me made me a bit less pliant than they would have liked. I suppose they had a tendency to forget that I wasn’t just physically perfect—I have a pretty good brain too.” I smiled at Steve. “Thanks for that.”

“I’m sure you got some of it from your mother too. Whoever she was.”

“Well she was selected for genetic perfection...as near as a person can get anyway.” I wrinkled my nose. “I’ve never really thought about who she was. Of course, from the science standpoint I had four parents. The male genetic donation,” I pointed at Steve. “The egg donor, the sperm donor the clean sperm was made from and the woman who carried me to term. Which of course means there were some epigenetic factors there, so she had to be screened as well.”

“That’s true,” Dr. Banner said. “With all of that going on the success rate being, what, twenty percent or so? That’s not bad.”

 _More like 40%..._ No. Those didn’t count as successes. Maybe I didn’t even count. Took us down to 0.    

“There abouts. Unless we’re counting from the successful germinations in which case it was .58 %.”

“True.” He leaned onto his elbows. “I don’t suppose you would mind if we ran your genetic code out? We might be able to narrow down where specific traits came from.”

“I’ve seen pieces of my code before, from the lab, but not the whole thing.”

At this point, I noticed we were getting some looks. I suppose it wasn’t typical dinner conversation.

“All I’d need is a small sample. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

I think I liked Dr. Banner. I wasn’t totally certain about any of this yet, but at least I could talk to him.

“I think I can handle small.”

“Tomorrow I’ll give you a tour of the facilities,” Mr. Stark said. “Get a keycard—limited access of course and we’ll iron out the details of your...guardianship.” He looked at Steve. “For now, you’ll be staying in this guest suite.”

“This is a guest suite?”

“Yes.”

It was awfully fancy for guests, but what did I know? My only homes had been a bunker and a string of abandoned buildings.

“And if you need anything all you have to do is ask and Jarvis will ring up someone.”

“Jarvis?”

“Yes, Lucy?”

The voice came out air—rather, out of the speakers I located quickly enough on the wall. “The walls are talking.”

“Actually, I am a virtual assistant,” Jarvis replied.

“You’re a computer.”

“That is correct.”

“Nifty.”

“We should get you a slang dictionary,” Natasha said. “Get you up on how kids talk these days. There’s no hope for Steve, but you’re young enough to learn.”

Steve chucked a pillow at her, which Clint caught mid-chew.

She grinned. “Nice try, grandpa.”

“I’m not a grandfather—am I?” He glanced at me.

“I am fourteen years old,” I protested. “And a virgin. And I’ve never kissed a boy—or a girl. Not for lack of interest on their part, I have to admit I have been flirted with while wearing fatigues.”

“I did not need to know that,” Steve said.

“I’m not surprised,” Natasha said. “You inherited very good genes.”

“I’m aware that I’m considered conventionally attractive. Though my breasts are a bit small I think.”

“That will come with time,” she assured me.

“I didn’t need to hear _that_ either, Nat.”

“What? She’s a growing girl.”

I snorted. “You guys are weird.”

“You have no idea,” Dr. Banner said.

I really, _really_ didn’t.


	3. Chapter 3

I was dreaming. I knew I was dreaming because I was back in the bunker. It was a common enough dream since I’d thawed, but this particular dream was one I’d had even before they’d frozen me.

I was eleven, walking back to my room after gymnastics when I smelled something metallic—blood. There was a splatter of it on the floor next to room two, I was in room six, room two was usually empty. There was a smear of blood on the handle too. I considered calling for help, but curiosity got the better of me and I opened the door.

I usually wish I hadn’t.

Inside was the body of Private Hodges, lying in a thick pool of blood with lacerations all over his body. Standing over him with a standard issue tactical blade, was a boy with blue eyes and dark hair, hands and shirt covered in blood, a strange smile on his face. He wore the same clothes I did, dog tags around his neck.

He looked at me and his smile widened. “Hello, sister.”

I woke up, sticky with sweat and shaking. I tasted bile at the back of my throat and it was all I could do to reach the trashcan before I threw up, stomach heaving even after it was empty. I pushed the trashcan away and slumped down on the floor, trying to get myself back together.

The lights flickered on overhead and I closed my eyes against the glare.

“Are you all right, Lucy?” Jarvis asked.

“Fine,” I replied.

“Don’t lie to Jarvis,” Steve said from the stairs that acted as entryway to the lofted bedroom. “You’re shaking—and you were screaming.”

I got to my feet. “Just a nightmare. It’s nothing.”

“Sure.” He gave me a sharp look. “Just because hardheadedness runs in the family, doesn’t mean you need to be tough all the time, Lucy. I’m here if you ever want to talk.” He glanced at the trashcan. “Come on, let’s get you a glass of water.”

“Thanks.” I followed him down the stairs.

I was fine. I would be fine. The monster from my nightmare...he couldn’t hurt anyone ever again.

***

“I hope everything fits,” Natasha called from the living room. “You kind of needed some clothes.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s fine,” I replied, buttoning up the jeans and heading downstairs. “Clean is a major improvement.”

“I take you didn’t know how to do laundry?”

“Not something I learned while in the bunker, no.” I ran a hand through my damp hair. “That shower is awesome.”

“Tony doesn’t do anything by halves,” she replied. “Speaking of.” She held up a black gift bag. “This is from Tony.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Okay.” Inside the bag was a phone like the one I’d shot the other day, and a larger version of the same design.

“A tablet and a phone,” Natasha explained. “Our numbers are all programmed in. The tablet is basically a tiny computer. It has games too.” She showed me the power buttons on both and pointed out the charging cables in the bag while giving me a quick tutorial on the touch screen system.

I got the hang of it with relative quickness. “This is cool,” I said. “People still say that, right?”

“Yes.”

“Great.” I opened the web browser on the tablet and Googled “Captain America Returns” which brought up a whole lot of information I hadn’t gotten to yet. “Aliens attacked New York?”

“Yup.” She smiled. “But we won.”

“I see that—and what’s the giant green guy? The Hulk?”

“That’s Bruce,” she said. “He was involved in trying to crack the super-soldier serum, testing of the gamma radiation went wrong and—when he gets angry he becomes a giant green rage monster.”

“Oh.” Gamma radiation killed most of my siblings.

“So he is well aware of the cost of that research—and not exactly willing to continue it.”

“Oh.” I nodded absently. “So he won’t try to use my genes to make more of me?”

“Unlikely. He isn’t fond of the military. None of us are.”

I continued my scrolling and stumbled on the more recent crisis. “Hydra really is back then. Aliens, Hydra—corrupt companies trying to make super-men.” I shook my head. “I guess there are a lot of people out there who would want to take me apart.”

She put a hand on my shoulder. “We just want to keep you safe, Lucy. You deserve to have a normal life. As much of one as we can give you.”

“Thanks, Natasha.”

“Now, why don’t we take a tour of the tower? I have my own floor you know.”

“Really?”

“Yup, and there’s a big pool.”

“How big?” I raised my eyebrows.

“Big.”

I set down the tablet and tucked the phone in my pocket. “This I’ve got to see.”

***

So there were at least four pools in the tower, twenty floors of laboratory space, a helicopter pad, nine gymnasiums and ten separate cafeterias for the staff. There was a lot of staff. I kept a steady count of new faces and updated my mental map as we went along, cataloguing the security measures I could see and memorizing passcodes I heard or saw.

Some of those people were not very security conscience.

Eventually though, I got hungry and Natasha brought me to the high-security clearance floor for lunch.

“You can get whatever you want,” she said, gesturing at the long line of buffet.

“I smell bacon.” I smiled brightly and followed her through the line, piling on what was probably more than the typical caloric intake for someone my age and size. The scientists at the bunker had always monitored every single thing I’d eaten, and while I’d had to maintain a higher calorie requirement given my daily exercise, I hadn’t exactly been running obstacle courses lately. Running away from people, cops, and agents sure, but it wasn’t like that had been strenuous.

We took a seat at one of the small round four person tables around the perimeter of the room and I dug into the rather large slice of chocolate cake I’d grabbed at the last moment.

“Dessert first?” Natasha raised her eyebrows at the cake, but she smiled.

“Always,” I replied. “Besides, I also have pie for after lunch dessert.” I pointed at the slice of apple.

She smiled. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. Steve said you had a bit of a rough night.”

I shrugged. “Nightmare. Saw enough things in the bunker to warrant those.”

“I bet.” Her eyes narrowed. “So, you think you’ve figured out another way out of the building?”

“Maybe. You didn’t take me to the first four floors, so I haven’t formulated a solid plan yet but four floors up—I could walk off that fall.” I could too. Not normal.

Natasha shook her head, red curls bouncing. “You have a brain like a trap. Steve is smart, really smart, actually, but that particular way of thinking—that’s not Steve.”

“Well, maybe I got from my mom.”

“Maybe you did.” She wrinkled her nose. “From what we’ve found in the files, it looks like they didn’t limit their donations to American citizens. They reached out to all sorts of people. Including a Russian ballerina who defected.”

“Cool.”

She smiled. “After lunch, why don’t we go see what Clint is up to? He has an archery range.”

“Okay.”

“And you can study more of the security layout.”

I shrugged, but smiled. Yeah, she had me pegged alright.

“Oh my god this cake is so good. This is my new favorite thing ever.”

***

Steve was waiting in the guest suite after we finished with Clint at the range. He let me try out his bow.

“See,” Natasha said. “I brought her back in a single piece.” She smiled at Steve.

“I had total faith in you.”

“Tomorrow she can meet the kids then?” Natasha glanced at me. “If you’re up for meeting some more people?”

“I guess.” I shrugged. “Kids?”

“Yup.” She smiled again. “I’ll leave you two to talk.”

I watched her leave and turned my attention to Steve. “What are we talking about?”

“Tony and I spent the morning with the lawyers, taking care of the legal stuff. They’ll get it all finalized in a few days. By the time they’re done you’ll have a whole new identity. A paper trail. You’ll be _safer_.”

“Oh.” I sat down on the couch. “Good.”

“Legally, I’ll be adopting you. We’ve got a cover story about your parents being military, they died abroad. It should keep people from asking too many questions. I’ll get you copies of everything so you can memorize the cover.”

“Okay.” I blinked. _Adopting me._ “So…what’s my life going to be like then? Am I going to be stuck in this tower?”

“I hope not. We’ve got another facility in the countryside. Barton’s got a farm too. You’ll be safe at any of those locations. I don’t want you to go from one prison to another.” He sat down next to me. “Once we have your cover established, you should be safe to go out and about—with supervision.”

Supervised time outside was better than nothing, I guess. Maybe. For the moment. I wrinkled my nose.

Steve laughed. “I know, it sucks.”

I blushed. “Am I that easy to read?”

“Just a little.” He pat my shoulder. “Now onto the important stuff. Rules. All the kids have rules.”

“How many kids are even here? I mean…shouldn’t you be keeping kids _away_ from all this superhero stuff?” I frowned. The bunker had rules too. Lots of rules.

“These kids are…like you. Special. And at the moment, you’re the fourth. You’ll meet them tomorrow. Rules though. You get one all to yourself. You _don’t_ leave this tower without supervision. The kids don't count either. Second, you don’t handle weapons without supervision.”

I gave him a look. “I’ve been handling weapons since I was four.”

“I know you think that’s a point in your favor, but…” He shook his head. “Still not happening. Three, no lying. If there’s a subject you aren’t comfortable talking about, I’d prefer you just told me that. I want you to open up when…if, you’re ready.”

“Oh—okay.”

Steve coughed. “Okay, rule four, a big one. You don’t put yourself in unnecessary danger.”

“What do you mean by _unnecessary_?”

Steve gave me a look. It was similar to the one Thor had given me. “I think you can probably come up with scenarios, Lucy. You’re a smart girl. Now, Tony is going to give you some general assessments this week to help narrow down what you know and don’t know. Get you a more structured learning plan.”

“I suppose that would be helpful,” I admitted. “I’m flying a bit blind here.”

“You’ll see, you’ll get the hang of all of this.” He smiled. “Just follow the rules.”

“Right.” It was fewer rules than the bunker. I wanted to complain about them, out of principal, but it was early days. I needed to fit in here. I needed to—I don’t know. I had a chance to have something normal. I’d never had normal. I _wanted_ normal.

Steve rubbed his hand through his hair. “You, you have any questions?”

I shook my head. Acting on impulse, I turned and gave him a hug. I jumped back a moment later. “Um. I’m gonna watch TV.” I saw his face before I fled. Surprised but—he had a little smile too. That was a good thing. I think. I hope.

***

“Peter, Wanda, Pietro, this is Lucy.” Clint gestured at the three people standing opposite me. Peter was maybe a couple years older than me, but the other two looked to be a bit older than that. Pietro’s hair was white as snow. That was…weird.

“Hey,” Peter waved, flashing a lopsided smile. “Nice to meet you, Lucy.”

Wanda stepped closer, eyes narrowing. “You do look like Steve.”

“Yes.” Pietro nodded. “Very much.” He smiled and in a flash, was directly in front of me, holding out his hand. “It’s good to meet you.”

“How did you…”

“I move very fast. Mutant thing.”

“Mutant.” I blinked. I’d read something about that. “Cool.”

“Thank you.” He glanced at Wanda. “My sister has other gifts. And you?”

“I’m just…strong and fast. Not as fast as _you_.” I shrugged. The idea that there were people out there more powerful than me didn’t bother me, precisely. I might not be as fast as Pietro, but I didn’t need to be.

He grinned. “You ever want takeout, let me know. I’ll get the good stuff.”

“Cool.”

Wanda rolled her eyes. “He’s such a show off.”

I turned toward Peter. “So…what’s your thing?”

“I was bit by a radioactive spider.” He smiled and walked over to the nearest wall—and then walked up the nearest wall. “I stick to most surfaces. Plus there’s strength, agility—stuff.” He shrugged, and hopped down, landing with easy grace.

“Also cool.”

Clint shook his head. “Kids. Well, why don’t you all chill out in the rec room. Show Lucy how to play video games.”

“Okay.” Peter nodded eagerly. “Come on, I’ll bet you’ll be great at Overwatch.”

“Okay.” I didn’t know what that was, but I was willing to try.

***

“How’d the play date go?” Steve asked.

“Play date?” I raised my eyebrows.

“Your time with the other kids.”

“Oh, good. I scored a bunch of points. Peter was impressed. He’s excitable.” I shrugged. “Video games seem like a good way to get out aggression without actually hurting anyone.”

“That is one of the reasons we have so many,” Steve agreed. “Natasha likes them too, you should try her at Left for Dead sometime.”

“Okay.” I glanced around the suite, feeling a bit awkward. “Do we—is there something you needed to talk about?”

“No, but I thought it might be good if we spent normal time together. Get to know each other better.”

“Oh.” I nodded. “That’s…I’d like that.”

“Well, then dinner is on its way.” He patted the couch next to him. “Sit, tell me about your weeks on the streets of New York.”

“Well…the food was good. I got hit by a car once. I was fine though. A cop tried to arrest me for something, but I broke his nose. I spent most of my time at the library.” I shrugged. “It was mostly uneventful.”

“Right.” Steve nodded. “You know punching cops is…wrong.”

“I thought he might be a military operative.” I shrugged again. “I get kind of…paranoid. Sometimes.”

Steve swallowed. “Have you ever had a therapist?”

“There was Dr. Willis in the bunker. Psychotherapist. He was there to make sure we weren’t sociopathic.” I sighed. “I didn’t like him much. He was a jerk.”

Steve blinked. “We?”

A chill rolled down my spine. Had I said _we_? Shit. “Me,” I replied. “It was just me.”

“Lucy, if there’s something—”

“It was _just_ me,” I snapped. “No one else.” I stood. “ _No one._ ” I backed away from him. “No one.”

“Lucy—”

“I don’t want to talk about this.” I blinked back tears, stomach twisting. I could smell blood again. I was going to throw up. I clapped a hand over my mouth and ran to the bathroom.

Steve followed me, holding my hair back as lunch came back up.

“Ugh.” I headed for the sink, rinsing my mouth at the sink.

“Lucy, whatever this is—not talking about it doesn’t seem to be helping.”

I shook my head. “I _can’t_.”

“Okay. Why don’t you lay down on the couch?” He put a hand on my shoulder, steering me out of the bathroom. “Jarvis, could you have them hold dinner for an hour? Lucy isn’t feeling well.”

“Of course, Captain Rogers. Dr. Cho is currently in Dr. Banner’s lab. Shall I have her sent up?”

“No, that’s all right. I’ve got it.”

“Very good.”

I sat down on the couch, but I didn’t want to sleep. I was certain that if I went to sleep now I would have the nightmare. See the blood again. I didn’t want that.

“You don’t have to stay,” I said after a long silence. “I’ll be fine.”

“I’m staying though.” Steve sat in the chair nearest the couch. “You threw up the other night too.”

I shrugged.

“Whatever it is…No one is going to be angry with you. I just want to help.”

Yeah. There wasn’t anything he could do about this. It was long done. My brother had been just another failed experiment. He’d snapped, killed a man. I wasn’t talking about that. I wasn’t talking about Thomas. Ever.

“Okay,” Steve continued. “You don’t have to talk. I’ll sit with you though. We’ll have dinner. You can just…think about it. Okay?”

After another long moment, I nodded, just a bit. I’d think about it, but it wouldn’t change anything. I couldn’t tell him the truth about this. No one ever needed to know the truth. Thomas was dead anyhow. There was no point in dredging up the past now.

No point at all.


	4. Chapter 4

“How’s testing going?” Steve leaned in the doorway, eyeing Tony first and then me.

“Boring,” I replied, finishing the last question on the test and setting down the tablet.

“She’s passed everything so far,” Tony replied. “She’s a little behind on current events, no great surprise. But math, science—she’s beyond what they’d teach in high school.”

“What’s high school?” I looked at Tony.

“Public school in the U.S. is divided into three sections. Elementary, middle, and high school. High school is usually for ages fourteen to eighteen, depending on where your birthday falls and—other stuff.” Tony gave me a look. “How did you not read about schools?”

I shrugged. “It didn’t effect my life, so I didn’t care.”

“Well, I suppose that’s one way to look at it.” Tony snorted. “Well, I can put together some lesson plans from this and you can join the rest of the kids in individual tutoring.”

“Yay.” At least this place has windows. Windows. Good food. The company wasn’t bad. If everyone would just stop asking questions and acting like my age was some magical barrier that prevented me from being capable of protecting myself, it would be perfect.

“Well, I think that’s probably enough tests for one day,” Steve said. “Lucy, you want to do anything? Something…fun?”

“We could go to the range. Shooting things is fun.”

He sighed. “Something _not_ involving guns.”

I shrugged. “I got nothing.”

Alarms began to blare. Steve was on his feet in a flash. “Stay here,” he ordered sharply.

“Uh—okay?”

He and Tony rushed out of the room, the door shutting behind them with a distinctive _click_. I ran over to the door and tugged on the handle—it wouldn’t open.

“Jarvis.”

“Yes, Miss Lucy?”

“Can you unlock this door?”

“I’m sorry, but lockdown procedures have been instituted due to the attack.”

“Attack?” I frowned. “Is that what the alarms are about?”

“That is correct. Don’t worry Miss, you’ll be perfectly safe in your room.”

“Right, thanks, Jarvis.” I eyed the door. I was _not_ going to let them lock me in my room like a useless thing. I’d picked up a pocket knife in Banner’s lab yesterday. Stark was predictable in his designs. I cut into the wall next to the door’s bolt mechanism. The wires all looked in order. I stripped two of them and grabbed a paperclip to jump the connection. The door unlocked.

I smiled.

“Miss Lucy, you need to remain in your room.”

“Sorry, Jarvis, no can do.” I tucked the pocket knife away and headed into the hall. I could hear the sound of gunfire echoing. I thought it was just a couple floors up from my current position. The elevators were probably _not_ operational in this lockdown but that didn’t mean I couldn’t get up there. Part of my drive, I knew, was training. Running toward danger was something they’d drilled into us. Well, that, and following orders. Clearly the latter of the two hadn’t stuck.

There was a stairwell. I found it, jimmied the lock and headed up the stairs. I caught the sound of gunfire again at the second door. I was able to open that door as well. I couldn’t tell what _exactly_ was going on. But one of the suited bodyguards that hung around the tower was unconscious on the ground. I scooped up his gun and headed down the hall.

“Thor!” Steve’s voice echoed.

“Got it!”

I crouched down and hurried toward the voices, peering down each corner before I turned down it. There seemed to be a group of enemy soldiers, but I wasn’t sure where they’d come from. There was a landing pad a few floors up, they could have come from there. I finally spotted Steve and the others fighting back against the intruders.

It was over moments later though. Which was mildly disappointing. I didn’t get to shoot anyone. Well, I should probably sneak off then, before I got spotted.

“I see the little warrior has joined us.” Thor boomed and a moment later I was dangling in the air. That was very disconcerting.

“Put me down.”

He took the gun and set it on the counter I’d hidden behind. “I believe you were supposed to stay in your room.”

“And I believe that I told you to put me down.” I kicked him, but that didn’t work really.

He shook his head. “That was rude.”

“Lucy,” Steve shook his head. “Thor, could you take her downstairs? We’ll wrap up things here.”

“Of course.” Thor slung me over his shoulder.

“I’m not a sack of potatoes.”

“I am aware.” He was entirely too literal. I was toted back downstairs. Thor deposited me on the couch, eyeing the door for a moment. “You broke the lock.”

“Duh.”

“You broke the rules as well.” He tilted his head. “So quickly too. I think it’s a record.”

I frowned at him. “You can’t just expect me to sit in a cage while people are in danger. It’s not in my nature. It’s not what I was trained to do.”

“I understand training,” Thor replied. “I too was trained at a young age for war. But my father cared for me. Cared for my brother.” He frowned. “You were not so lucky. But that has changed now. Stephen wishes you to have a childhood. That is why he has rules. To protect you. To give you something new.”

“I don’t _need_ a childhood.” I stood up, glaring at the overly tall alien. “I’m _broken_. I’ve been broken. One of these days I’ll crack and I’ll turn out just like Thomas. I’ll kill someone. Go wrong. We all went wrong.” I was shouting, I didn’t mean to shout. But all I could think about was Thomas. Not just Thomas though. I lied to Banner, I lied to all of them. I’d known well that there were more of us. More kids in the program. Four of us, actually. Jane. Thomas. William. They’d died. They’d died…taking other lives with them. They all went wrong. I’d go wrong too. Eventually.

Thor shook his head. “There is no darkness in your heart, Lucy, daughter of Stephen. You are not broken.”

I was crying, and I couldn’t stop. I threw myself at him, the intractable wall of muscle I couldn’t hurt. “They all went wrong. They all went wrong.”

Thor pulled me into his arms, holding me tight. “It does not matter,” he replied.

I screamed, trying to break free, but Thor was stronger. He just, held me.

I didn’t hear Steve come in. “I’ll take her, Thor.”

“She is very distressed.” But he let me go and I was pulled back into Steve’s arms.

“What’s wrong, Lucy?”

“She spoke of others. Other children, siblings perhaps. A name, Thomas.”

_Thomas._

“Lucy?” Steve pulled me over to the couch and sat me down. “Who is Thomas?”

I swallowed. “My brother.” I looked up at him. “My brother. He went wrong. He killed someone. Murdered them. They all went wrong. I’ll go wrong.”

“Lucy…you’ve never hurt anyone outside of self-defense. Nothing I’ve seen of you suggests you’re going to become homicidal.”

“You don’t know that. I saw it. I saw them change.”

“Is this what you’ve been so upset about? Having nightmares about?”

I nodded.

“There is something not right,” Thor said.

Steve glanced over at him. “What do you mean?”

“I have seen this before. The words she used. Keeps using. I believe someone has touched her mind.”

I frowned. “You’re insane.”

“Get Wanda down here,” Steve said a moment later. “We’ll find out for sure.”

“My brain is fine.” Concentrating on indignation made me feel better. I wiped my tears away, trying to pretend I hadn’t just screamed and cried like an infant.

Steve handed me a handkerchief. “We’ll talk about this whole disobeying orders thing now then, while Thor gets Wanda.”

Thor was off and I was alone with Steve. Which made me feel…weird.

“You were supposed to stay in your room.”

“And?”

“You could’ve been shot, Lucy.”

“That’s why I had the gun.”

He gave me a look. “You say that like it’s reassuring. You are fourteen years old, Lucy.”

“You keep saying that, like it’s some magic number.” I rolled my eyes. “It’s not. I’m not a child. I’ve _never_ been a child. I’m just an experimental soldier that failed to live up to expectations.”

Steve shook his head. “You are a child. They hurt you. But that doesn’t make you an adult,” he scolded. “You obey the rules, Lucy. You obey orders. That’s how I keep you safe.”

I frowned, feeling a niggle of uncertain emotion.

“You broke two rules today. Want to tell me which ones?”

“Uh…handling weapons without supervision, I guess.”

“Yes, and?”

“The one about putting myself in unnecessary danger.” I frowned.

“Yup.” Steve nodded. “So, you’re grounded.”

I had a vague idea of what that meant. “I can’t leave the tower anyway.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m perpetually _grounded_.”

“Well, now you’ll also be perpetually within arm’s reach of adult supervision.”

Like I wasn’t already.

“I think me and Thor are going to be taking turns. Maybe Nat. We’ll see how it goes.”

Thor arrived a moment later with Wanda in tow.

I didn’t exactly know what to expect.

“I told Wanda what I suspect,” Thor said. “She will take a look.”

“What, in my head? Um. I’m not okay with that.”

“It’s all right,” Wanda replied. “I will not do anything to you. I just need to see if anyone has tampered with your memories. I will not read your thoughts or change them.” She smiled reassuringly. “It will be over in moments.”

“And then you’ll all stop bothering me about this?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.”

Wanda walked over to me, placing her hands on either side of my head. There was a flash of red light. All I could see was that light. But it faded quickly. Wanda took a step back, brow furrowed.

“You are correct, Thor. Someone has tampered with her memories. They have overlaid them with darker thoughts. And those thoughts have triggers if probed too deeply.”

“Like nausea?” Steve asked.

Wanda nodded. “Lucy, someone has altered your memories. Not skillfully, however, I could undo this. Let you see the truth. If you wish it.”

I swallowed. “What if they’re worse?”

“Then I can help you forget completely, if you want to.”

I wanted to know the truth. I nodded. “Okay.”

Wanda sat down. “Just breathe.”

I was back in the bunker. Outside room two. There was no blood on the handle. Private Hodges was walking down the hallway, he smiled at me.

“Hello, Lucy.” He boxed me in next to the wall, opening the door and pushing me inside. “My, aren’t you getting prettier every day?”

My stomach twisted. “If you touch me, I’ll scream.”

“And then I’ll tell them you attacked me. You’ll get put down, just like the others.” He reached out to touch my cheek. “That would be a shame.”

“Don’t you dare touch my sister!” Thomas rushed into the room. “Get away from her!”

Private Hodges sneered and pulled a knife. Thomas fought him for it.

They fell to the ground and the knife—lodged into Hodge’s chest. Thomas scrambled away, blood on his clothes. He hurried to me. “Are you all right Lucy? Did he hurt you?”

“I’m okay, but what’s going to happen to you?”

He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter. We need a story.”

They took Thomas away though. They took him away and I never saw him again.

He was just protecting me.

Time jumped, and I was ten years old again, it was all four of us still, together. Plotting escape. We tried that night. We got so close—but they shot Jane. They shot her and she died in William’s arms.

Time jumped again. I was eleven. William was on the climbing wall. His equipment failed. His neck broke.

I opened my eyes back to reality, feeling tears drip down my cheeks. “They made me think my siblings were monsters,” I sobbed.

Wanda stepped back. “I’m so sorry, Lucy.”

Steve pulled me close again, whispering soothing words. “It’s all right, sweetheart. It’s not your fault.”

_They made me think my sister, my brothers, were monsters._ Thomas. They took Thomas away. I never saw a body. “Thomas,” I whispered. “I don’t…I don’t know what really happened to Thomas. They took him.”

“We’ll find out,” Steve promised. “Time for bed, I think. That mind stuff is exhausting, and you’ve had a bad day.”

I wanted to protest as he picked me up and carried me to bed, but I couldn’t. I was so tired. I was just so tired.

“Sleep, sweetheart.” Steve tugged off my boots and tucked me into bed. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Tomorrow. What if Thomas was alive?

If he was, I had to find him.

I had to.

***

I woke up with a headache, but that went away after a glass of water. It was still early, but I’d gone to bed incredibly early. I felt…better, though. Knowing my siblings weren’t murderous monsters helped settle something inside me. I wasn’t fated to turn into a monster. Thomas was out there somewhere, maybe, maybe.

“Jarvis?”

“Yes, Miss Lucy?”

“Is anyone else up?”

“Mr. Barton is one floor up in the common area.”

I considered that. He _had_ been impressed by my sharpshooting. Maybe he wouldn’t be so bad to hang around. “I think I’ll join him.”

“I can allow that, Miss Lucy,” Jarvis agreed. “Go on.”

“Thanks.” I stopped in the bathroom to brush my hair and change clothes. Jarvis directed me to an elevator and then down the hall to the common room. Barton was on the couch, watching cartoons. He looked up when I came in the room.

“Hey, kid.”

“Hey.”

He patted the couch. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“Woke up early.” I sat down next to him. “Anybody fill you in about my latest weirdness?”

He snorted. “Yeah. That’s messed up. Changing your memories like that…” He shook his head. “I also heard you avoided getting an all-out Captain America scolding.”

“Avoided?” I raised my eyebrows. “Wanda returned my memories and I passed out.”

He shrugged. “Trust me on this, it’s postponed not completely avoided. Steve doesn’t leave that stuff half done.”

“I don’t know what he expects from me. I mean…I’m stuck here already. I’m a prisoner inside this tower. Like a princess from a fairy story.” I sank back into the couch. “What else can he threaten me with? I…I don’t do well locked in rooms.”

Barton frowned. “What did those bunker freaks do to you when you pissed them off?”

“Oh you know, half rations. Confinement. The box.” I shrugged.

“The _box_?”

“Little room. You couldn’t even stand in it. You could crouch. I can’t imagine being in there full grown.”

“That’s—awful.” He turned toward me. “You know, Steve really wants to be there for you. You should talk to him more. Claustrophobia sucks. I don’t suffer from it myself, but if you tell him that locked doors make your skin crawl, he’ll listen.”

“Skin crawl, stomach twist—I hate locked doors. Being locked in makes me feel like I’m back there. At least on the streets I had the skies whenever I wanted them. I was free. Now I’m just in another cage because there are people out there who want to tear me apart and figure out how I work.” I shook my head. “It’s not fair. And now…Thomas could be out there too.”

“Thomas is your missing brother.”

“Yup.”

“If anyone can find him, we can.” Barton sure was confident. “Talk to Steve about your thing with locked doors, Lucy. But as for what Steve can do… _will_ do. Depends on his mood.”

“Well that’s vague and unhelpful.”

He smiled. “You want some pancakes?”

“Pancakes?”

“Yeah. I’ll make you some.” He pat my knee and hopped up. “Come on, kid.”

Well, I was hungry. “Can we have bacon too?”

“Sure.” He shook his head. “You really like bacon, don’t you?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, you try living off nutrition pastes and horrible, horrible rations.” I wrinkled my nose. “It sucked.”

“Which I guess explains you demolishing every sweet you can put your hands on.” He shook his head. “You should try some vegetables sometime.”

“I eat vegetables.”

“Uh huh.” He grinned. “I’m sure.”

I shrugged. I wasn’t going to argue right now, I wanted pancakes. And, as it turned out, Barton made good pancakes. Natasha joined our early breakfast, flashing a smile at me.

“You got Barton to make pancakes? I am impressed.”

“Kid needed to eat,” Barton replied. “And kid, feel free to call me Clint. I prefer not to have everyone shouting Barton at me.”

“Sure thing, Clint.” I ate my last strip of bacon. “Thanks for the breakfast.”

“No problem. Somebody has to play the role of the uncle who spoils you. May as well be me.”

“Oh really?” Natasha shook her head. “I thought Tony was playing that role.”

“Nah. Pancakes, cartoons—the kid needs normal stuff.” He winked at me. “Stark is just going to keep buying her stuff. I can feed her sugar.”

I couldn’t help laughing. No one…no one had ever said anything like that to me. About me. Steve was trying to be all parental, but Clint seemed to have a knack for the fun uncle role, as he was calling it.

“Well, that’s a nice sound to hear,” Natasha said. “You smiling and laughing—that’s good.”

I shrugged. “It’s easier now. Knowing my brothers and sister weren’t monsters. That…I’m not a monster.”

Natasha reached across the table, taking my hand and squeezing gently. “I’m glad to hear that too. You and me have a lot in common. How we were raised. You ever want to talk, we can do that.”

“Oh, thanks.” I smiled. “I’d like that. Better than yelling at Thor.”

“Oh, yelling at Thor is always an option.” She smiled back. “And, I’ll bet once you get a bit older you’ll be more of a match for the big guy. Your dad is, anyway.”

“Really?”

“Yup.” Her smile widened. “I see that twinkle in your eyes. You’d like to give him a run for his money, wouldn’t you?”

“Well, given he’s the first opponent I’ve had since I was eleven that didn’t fall over when I punched him…yeah.”

“That’s the spirit, kid.”

“This looks cozy,” Tony leaned in the doorway. “Save me any pancakes?”

Clint picked up the last one, folded it in half, and stuffed it in his mouth. He shook his head and shrugged.

Tony rolled his eyes. “Figures. You guys suck. And good morning, Miss America.”

I raised my eyebrows. “If that’s a nickname you’re trying out, I suggest you try again.”

He laughed. “Smart mouth, aren’t you?”

“They tried to beat it out of me, didn’t take.” I winced. “Anyway, you’re up early.”

“Says the trio that got up before six. Steve was looking for you.” Tony headed toward the table. “I’m sure he could just ask Jarvis, but I think he likes to look.”

“Why?”

“Something about finishing a discussion, which if I know the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan, means you are totally in for it, peanut.” He smiled. “I feel a little bad, but you sort of did break three locks and nearly get yourself killed. Which is a record, I think, for our little group of Teen Avengers.”

I blinked. “Go me.”

“Miss Lucy,” Jarvis said. “Captain Rogers would like to see you. Shall I direct you to his suite?”

“Thanks, Jarvis.” I stood up. “Thanks for breakfast, Clint.”

“No problem, kid.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy meets a few different sides of SHIELD.

I found Steve’s suite easily enough. The door was open when I got there.

“Hey, Steve.”

“Lucy. Close the door.”

Well that sounded ominous. Steve was over on his couch, leaning forward on his elbows with that same disappointed look on his face. I closed the door and he pointed at his feet. I felt a bit like a dog being called to heel. Which, honestly, made me _not_ want to do it. I hesitated for a moment and then headed toward him.

“So…how’s it going?”

Steve shook his head. “You know, it’s that stubborn streak that reassures me that you’re my kid. Which is how I know what to do with you.”

“Um…Clint said I should talk to you about something.” I bit my lip.

“Oh?” he quirked an eyebrow.

“This whole thing with being locked into rooms. I—I don’t mean to just pick locks and run but…I hear a lock turn and my mind goes right back to the bunker. I don’t like small spaces either.” I scratched my head. “I just…I _can’t_ , do locked rooms. I can’t. Please don’t lock me in my room. Please.” I swallowed back the hitch in my voice.

“Oh, Lucy,” he took my hand. “No more locks, okay. Unless it’s to keep you _out_ of someplace. Okay?”

I nodded. “Okay.”

“Now then, why don’t we talk about you grabbing a gun and heading into danger when you were told to stay in your room? Because that wasn’t okay, Lucy.”

I licked my lips and looked down at my feet.

Steve reached out, putting a hand on my chin to move my gaze back to him. “Look at me when I’m talking to you, pumpkin.”

The latest in a line of pet names made me blush. Something in his eyes reminded me one of my training officers. “Yes, sir,” slipped out without my even meaning it to. Old habit I guess.

Steve smiled. “That habit’s hard to break. So, let’s move on to dealing with your rule-breaking.”

“I thought’s what the constant supervision and grounding was all about.” I frowned.

“That’s part of it.” He took his hand away. “Like I said, I know what to do with you. So we’re going to talk. Sit.” He pointed at the nearby ottoman.

I sat down.

“Eyes on me, kid.”

I looked at him, feeling supremely squirmy. My stomach might as well have been full of eels.

“Okay, where did you go wrong?” His tone was still patient.

“Well, it started when I walked into this room,” I groused.

He raised an eyebrow. “Let’s try that again, Lucy.”

I sighed. “I left my room after you told me to stay put.”

“That’s right. And?”

“And then I went looking for the fight—and found a gun.”

“Tell me why that was a bad idea.” Steve’s seemingly infinite patience was a bit annoying.

“I dunno. Because you think I’m some porcelain doll—”

“One.” Steve interrupted. “You give me sass, I count. You get to three, you will not be a happy camper.”

I flushed, but nodded.  

“Try again,” he prompted.

I bit my lip, trying to come up with an answer. Frustration made my throat bone dry. I swallowed and spat, “I don’t know!”

“You aren’t invincible, Lucy. You can still be hurt. You can still be killed. Running into danger when you’re still half-grown, when there are plenty of capable adults already in the mix, is foolish.” He kept up that even, slightly disappointed tone, eyes fixed on me like I was the most important thing in the whole room. My stomach fluttered. “I just found you, Lucy. I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I wouldn’t have. I’m not a kid!” I stood up and Steve took my wrist, pulling me back down onto the ottoman.

“That’s two.” Steve shook his head. “Not a kid. You just do a great impression of one I guess.”

I shook my head. “Peter is like, a year older than me, and I’ve seen the footage. You guys let him go out and fight.”

“Peter gets into his own trouble, Lucy. Believe me.” Steve wiped a hand over his face. “You aren’t Peter, so don’t try to shift the conversation. Now, tell me why it was a bad idea for you to grab a gun and join the fight.”

“I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do. I told you. Now you’re going to tell me.”

I swallowed. The words were there, I knew what he was talking about, knew what he meant. “I—I could’ve gotten hurt. I could’ve gotten killed.” I’d lived every day of my life in the bunker with that fear hanging over me. It was hard to acknowledge it now when I’d been ignoring it my whole life. I blinked back tears, but I didn’t understand why I was crying. He hadn’t done anything. He’d just talked. Asked me questions. What kind of baby was I if that made me cry?

“That’s right, Lucy. And why do you think I’m upset about what you did?”

“I…I scared you. I put myself in danger and you don’t want to-to lose me.”

“Because?”

My throat was so dry, and the tears were dripping off my chin. “Because you care about me.”

“Yeah I do.” He straightened. “C’mere, pumpkin.” He opened his arms.

I didn’t even think about it, I dove right into that hug, sobbing. Second time in two days I’d broken down. Had to be a record. “I’m sorry.”

“I know.” He rubbed my back. “You’re going to spend the next few days cleaning every weapon in the armory. Supervised, of course. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.” He took a deep breath. “We’re going to move to the facility upstate. It’ll be safer for you. You’ll be able to go outside there.”

“Really?”

“Really.” He pulled back a touch to look at my face. “I want you to be happy, Lucy. I want you to be safe. We’ll figure out how to make those two things work together.”

“Okay.”

“Sir,” Jarvis interrupted. “Forgive the interruption, but SHIELD agents have arrived, and Mr. Stark is requesting your attendance.”

Steve sighed. “Of course, Jarvis. Does he need everyone?”

“Thor has agreed to stay with Miss Lucy.”

“All right.” Steve turned back to me. “Will you be all right with Thor?”

“I guess.”

Steve waited until Thor arrived before leaving me. I knew how I looked, like I’d just cried my eyes out.

“We could play a game to pass the time,” Thor suggested, taking a seat on Steve’s couch. “There are cards somewhere.”

I shrugged. I was feeling tired now. I’d gotten up so early. Yesterday had been hard. Harder than today, and I was still feeling like I might start crying again if someone looked at me the wrong way. I sat down on the couch next to Thor, and without really thinking about it, I leaned over and sort of just fell on him. He didn’t seem to mind, putting an arm around my shoulders.

“You can sleep, I’ll watch over you,” Thor said softly.

I closed my eyes. “Thank you.”

I was safe with Thor. Just like I was safe with Steve. It was comforting being next to someone who could tear a man in half.

“I think I like you, Thor.”

I couldn’t see his face, but I was pretty sure he was smiling.

“Thank you, Lucy.”

***

It was a nightmare I was familiar with. I was in an abandoned building, one of the first I’d made a home out of. Everything was quiet. I was sleeping in an office when the door burst open. Men with guns came in. Dr. Franklin stood behind them.

“Hello, Lucy.”

“No.”

The soldiers grabbed me, and it was like all my strength had been drained away. I couldn’t fight them.

And then we were at the bunker.

I was being dragged down a hallway. A familiar hallway. There was the little door at the end. The little door to the box. I screamed, and screamed. They opened the door—

“Because I said no!” Steve shouted.

I woke up, heart racing. “What’s going on?” I blinked. “Thor?”

“Your father is arguing with the agents of SHIELD.” Thor stood. “Stay here.”

I nodded, clutching a pillow to my chest, but grateful to be awake.

Thor strode over to the door which flung open seconds later, nearly hitting Thor in the face. There was Steve, arguing with a pair of men in suits. Steve stood right in the doorway.

“I told you, no. She’s not a project. She’s not a lab rat, she’s my daughter and if you don’t back off now I’ll stop being nice.”

“Captain Rogers—”

“Did Fury even send you?”

“Well, no, the council sent us—”

“You’ve upset Captain Rogers,” Thor peered at the men over Steve’s shoulder. “And now you are upsetting me.”

“Me too.” I was positive that was Tony’s voice. “Especially because I told you that you weren’t allowed down here.”

“We have the appropriate clearance, Mr. Stark.”

“Well now I’m telling you, you don’t. Get the hell off my property before I or one my friends removes you.”

“Mr. Stark, the council simply wants to ensure the subject—”

“Her name is Lucy, and as Steve said, she’s his daughter, not a lab rat. Get. Out.”

“Director Fury wants to talk to you both.” Okay, that was Natasha. I was tempted, more than tempted, to get up and try to peer around Thor to get a better look but…after Steve’s scolding all I wanted to do was just sit there. Prove I could do what I was told.

The whole mess of people moved away and Thor closed the door, turning toward me and flashing a smile.

“Everything will be all right now.”

“I—everybody defended me.”

He walked back toward me. “Of course, you are a part of the family.”

I nodded. “Family.”

“Why don’t you try to sleep some more? Stephen will return shortly, I am sure.” He knelt in front of me, pushing a bit of hair back from my face. “You still look tired.”

“Do you think there are still people left—people left from the bunker?”

“I don’t know. We’re looking. Just as we search for your brother.”

“Since I left it, sometimes I have dreams. That they find me, and they take me back. Put me in a little box.” I shook my head. “I was having that dream.”

“I’m sorry.” He frowned. “You have been through more than any child ever should be. Would you like a hug?”

I nodded.

Thor scooped me up into his arms and sat back on the couch. “Your father will be back soon, little warrior. You should speak to him of your dreams as well.”

“I will.”

“Good. You are very brave. Dreams will not defeat you.”

“Thanks.” He had a weird way of looking at some things, but he did make me feel better. Safe.

***

“Time for lunch, sleepyhead,” Steve said softly.

“Mmm. I fell asleep again.”

“Yeah.” He smiled. “Thor says you woke up when the yelling started. Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay.” I sat up and stretched. “You were awesome.”

“I was?”

“Totally.” I smiled. “I mean…that was super cool of you and Tony. Standing up for me.” I tugged on my hair. “Why’d they want me anyhow?”

“Testing. Prodding. Poking. Stuff I promised you wouldn’t happen.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “They were here on orders from some very powerful people, but I’ve got friends too. Fury will keep them at bay.”

“Who’s Fury?”

“Nick Fury, he’s the director of SHIELD. I do work for him sometimes. The Avengers do work for him sometimes.”

“Oh.”

“Now, let’s get lunch. Bruce thinks you’re on the verge of a growth spurt, you’re going to need all to calories you can get.”

“He does?”

“You’re at that age, plus he’s been going over the genetic information, your growth charts from your files.”

“Is he worried about it?” I stood, eyeing Steve.

“No, just cautious. I just want you to be happy and healthy. Okay?”

“Okay.”

***

There were a _lot_ of weapons in the armory. A lot. I was pretty sure I’d be cleaning them for the rest of my life. Natasha or Clint supervised, giving me random pointers now and again regarding the use of whatever weapon I had on hand. Which, I suppose would be useful eventually.

Finally, though, I was done, and could at least spend my free time not smelling of gun oil. I was still grounded, which apparently translated to not having fun, but Steve let me read whatever I wanted. Peter, being closest to my own age, brought over his entire collection of the Harry Potter novels for me to read.

“Lucy, it’s one am.” Steve had me moved into a bedroom in his suite rather than continuing to live alone in the guest suite. He stood outside my door, a frown on his face.

I held up the book. “I’m already halfway through, I have to finish it.”

“You can finish it when you get up.” He strode forward, plucking the book from my hands and putting my discarded bookmark between the pages before shutting it. “I’ll hold onto it in the meantime. _Sleep_.”

I sighed, burrowing under the covers properly.

He shook his head, moving to tug the blanket over my feet. “Sleep tight, darling.” He turned off the lamp, but the little light-sensitive night light shaped like Steve’s shield turned on (a present from Tony). “You want the door open?”

“Yes, please.”

“Okay.” He padded out. “And don’t even think about reading it on your tablet, I had Tony put in a bedtime mode so it won’t turn on until morning either.”

I huffed. “I wasn’t going to.”

“Of course not. Good night.”

“Good night.”

He really did know me, didn’t he?

***

There was a hushed conversation going on in the main lounge when I got there the next morning. Everyone except the kids was huddled around the big table we played board games on.

“Hey, kid,” Clint noticed me first.

“Hey.” I frowned. “What’s going on?”

Steve broke away from the huddle to walk me away from the table a short ways. “We’ve got a mission we need to take, but it means leaving you. We’re trying to sort out if it would better to leave you with some friends of ours at SHIELD.”

“SHIELD, as in the guys working for the people who want to use me as a guinea pig.”

“Not the exact same guys. This is a team we know well, a team we trust. They work directly for Fury. They’ll keep you safe while we’re gone. It’s either that or we could send you to Asgard, and honestly, I’m not thrilled with that idea. I mean, it’s galaxies away.”

“How long are you going to be gone?”

“A week or so.”

I frowned. “I could just stay here, you know.”

Steve shook his head. “I’m afraid the council might try to get you again if we’re not with you.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll have a great time.”

***

“I’ve never been on a plane.” I stared at the enormous airplane. “Ever.”

Steve clapped me on the shoulder. “It’ll be all right.”

“Am I going to be on the plane the whole time? I mean, it’s a pretty confined space.” I swallowed a sour taste.

“No, not the whole time. They’re going to take you to one of the safe houses for the week. Don’t worry.”

I was going to worry regardless.

The big flap/ramp thing at the back of the plane came down. There were cars parked on it. A shiny red one and a big black one I thought was an SUV. I wasn’t really up on car models. A sort of nondescript man in a suit and a woman who reminded me of Natasha—though the woman in question was slightly older and Chinese—walked down between the cars while Steve marched me toward the ramp, Thor on the other side in case I made a run for it, probably.

“Coulson,” Steve smiled. “It’s good to see you.”

“Captain Rogers. Thor.” Coulson nodded. “And this must be Lucy. Nice to meet you.”

“Hi.”

Coulson blinked and gestured to his companion. “This is Agent Melinda May, our pilot.”

May just nodded.

“Lucy’s a little claustrophobic,” Steve said. “Just—keep it in mind.”

“Of course. Don’t worry, Lucy,” Coulson smiled at me. “It’s a short flight and we’ll be headed to a nice place in the country.”

I’d never been to the country. “Okay.” Maybe there would be cows. I’d never seen a cow.

“Well, why don’t you all come on up and I’ll introduce the rest of the team.”

“Sure.” Steve nodded. “Thor, you want to wait here? Just in case.”

I knew he was here to make sure I didn’t run off. I frowned. “I’m not going to run off.”

“I didn’t say you were.” He adjusted his grip on my bag. “Come on, kid.”

Yeah, I felt trusted. I followed the adults up into the plane. There was a lab right there off the cargo hold. A lab. I took a deep breath. _No tables though. No cages. No place to hold people_. It was just a lab. Like Bruce’s lab. Tony’s lab.

Steve put an arm around my shoulders though, giving me a quick hug before we headed up the stairs to the main living area.

“We have two scientists on board, another field agent and an analyst,” Coulson explained. “We’re pretty much SHIELD’s strike team. We get in, solve the problem, and get out.”

“Seems more suited to your style,” Steve replied.

“A bit.” Coulson waved four new people over. Two men, two women. I picked out the field agent quickly enough, he was muscular and had an obvious awareness of his surroundings. I couldn’t be sure which of the last three were scientists and which was the analyst though. “FitzSimmons, our science duo.”

The other man and the lighter skinned of the two women waved. “He’s Fitz,” she pointed.

“Simmons,” he pointed back.

“And this is Skye,” Coulson said, gesturing at the other woman. “And Agent Ward. I’m sure I don’t need to introduce Captain Rogers, and this is his daughter, Lucy. We’ll be looking after her for the week.”

“It’s amazing to meet you both,” Simmons gushed. “I mean, simply amazing.”

“Okay.” I blinked. Gushing over Steve, I understood, but me? “Thanks?”

“Really, your test scores are outstanding. You could probably go into the SHIELD science academy.”

“Oh.”

“I think that’d hurt Tony’s feelings, he’s pretty keen on my little genius.” Steve grinned.

“Well, certainly having Mr. Stark teach you—that’s a dream come true.”

I shrugged. “If you met him, you might not think so.”

Coulson snorted.

“You’ve met, like, all the Avengers though?” Skye asked.

“Yeah.” I nodded. “They’re pretty cool.”

“Awesome.” Skye grinned. “And did somebody say Thor was outside?”

“He was,” May replied.

Skye exchanged a look with Jemma, and the pair hurried off.

Steve shook his head.

“I totally get it,” I said.

“You’re not supposed to get it,” Steve replied. “Not for like, thirty years.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Saw that.”

“Don’t worry, Captain Rogers, we’ll keep your daughter safe.”

“He talks,” I pointed at Ward. “I was starting to think he might be a robot.”

“See, I’m not the only one,” Fitz said.

Ward sighed.

“Well, I’ll go pry the girls off Thor,” May said. “Ward, get things ready to go.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Okay.” Steve turned to me, putting his hands on my shoulders. “I’ll call you when I can, okay? But if you need anything Jarvis is on your phone too and he’ll find a way to reach me.”

“Okay.”

He smiled and kissed my forehead. “Be good.”

“I’ll try.”

***

The flight wasn’t so bad. I stayed in the lounge area, away from the windows. The younger team members peppered me with questions, which at least passed the time until we landed. Then there was a car ride, in an armored SUV. I stared at the windows, eyeing the landscape that passed us by. It was nothing like the city.

I think I preferred the city, to be honest.

Fresh air was highly overrated.

“It’s a farm.” I stared at the house we’d parked in front of. “An actual farm. Are those cows?”

“Yes,” Coulson said. “Don’t the point at the cows, it’s rude.”

“Because the cows know I’m pointing at them?” I rolled my eyes and grabbed my bag. _It’s just a week_. “You guys aren’t like, taking time off from saving the world to just babysit me, are you? Because if you did, you know you could probably just drop me off in Manhattan and I’ll just scrounge around for the week.”

Coulson gave me a look. “Which would be followed by your father killing me.”

“He wouldn’t kill you. He might kill _me_.” Or I’d be grounded until the end of time.

“To answer your first question, no. We were scheduled for some R&R anyhow.” Coulson shrugged. “Come on, let’s get inside and you can pick a room.”

We headed up the stairs of the short porch and into the house.

“Bedrooms are upstairs. There are enough for everybody, so don’t fight.”

It didn’t matter to me what room I got. Anything was better than my room in the bunker. I grabbed the room closest to the stairs—for a fast exit if I had to—and dropped my bag on the bed before taking a tour of the house. I poked through closets, sorted out where the rest of the bedrooms and the other bathrooms were. I slipped around the bustle as everyone else settled in and headed into the kitchen. It was well stocked, so someone must’ve taken care of the place when it wasn’t being used. There was a door out to the back porch, a pantry—and another door. I couldn’t think what it would lead to.

But knowing the layout of a residence, even one you were only going to be in for a week, that was ingrained in me. Know all the exits. I opened the door. The musty smell of earth and damp caught in my nose. There was a light switch just inside the door. I flipped it on.

Stairs went down, down and ending at a concrete floor. I froze. My heart pounded in my ears.

“Lucy?”

I jumped.

“Hey, it’s okay, it’s just Skye.”

I hadn’t realized I’d dropped into a defensive stance. I relaxed, taking a breath. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She pulled me away from the basement door and then shut it. “We’ll keep this locked, okay?” She slid the bar latch closed at the top of the door.

“Okay.”

“You want something to drink?”

I nodded.

“Everything okay in here?” Coulson asked.

“It’s okay, Lucy found the basement door is all.” Skye tugged me over to the kitchen counter and got a coke out of the fridge. “Here you go, nothing like sugar to help settle the nerves.”

“You and Tony would get along.” I popped the tab. It was cold, but it made me feel more real. “He lives off sugar.”

“I believe that,” Coulson said. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Of course.” I took a swig of soda. “Totally fine.” I was just going to have to pretend there wasn’t a super creepy basement right off the kitchen. I totally wasn’t going to have nightmares.

Totally.

***

I woke up a bit sweaty, my heart pounding and every one of my instincts screaming at me to run. I tried to breathe, scrambling for my phone.

“Jarvis.”

“Yes, Miss Lucy?”

“Can you get my dad?”

“Of course, Miss Lucy. While you wait, would you like to hear the weather report? It can be very calming. I can also set specific procedures for when you wake from a nightmare.”

“You know when I’ve had a nightmare?”

“Your heartrate goes up.”

“Oh. Yeah, weather is fine.”

“You’re currently in the mid-west at a classified SHIELD safe house. It’s sixty degrees and there is a 14% chance of rain tomorrow—and Captain Rogers is now on the line.”

“Okay.”

“Lucy? Sweetheart are you all right?”

“I had a nightmare.” I pulled the phone closer, hugging one of my pillows. “There’s a basement in the house and…I had a nightmare.”

“It’s okay. Jarvis, can we get video feed?”

“Of course, Captain.”

Steve’s face popped on the screen. He looked tired. “Hey.”

“Hey. Did I wake you up?”

“Nah, I was up.” He smiled. “You like the house? Other than the basement?”

I nodded. “Everyone is cool. I like Skye. She’s nice.”

“That’s good. You want me to stay with you until you fall asleep again?”

“Yes. Please.”

“Okay. I’ll be right here, darling. Just close your eyes.”

I snuggled down, propping the phone up and laying my head down.

“That’s it. Just relax. You’re safe.”

He kept talking to me, it didn’t really matter what he said, so long as he was talking.

“Goodnight, Dad,” I mumbled.

“Goodnight, sweetheart.”

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy spends time with Coulson's team.

There was a knock on more door the next morning, but I was already awake. I’d taken a shower even. I went back to bed, mind you, but I’d gotten up and dressed and _then_ went back to bed.

“What?”

“Breakfast,” Skye said. “There’s bacon, I’ve been told you like bacon.”

Okay, it was probably bad that I could be so easily bribed with food, but I could live with that for the moment. I got out of bed and opened the door. “Is it good bacon?”

“Yes.” Skye smiled. “Come on. I didn’t know you’d been up already.”

“I walk softly.”

“I like the t-shirt.”

“Natasha bought it, I think she thought it was ironic.” The t-shirt in question had Dad’s shield on it.

“You call Black Widow, Natasha.”

“Yeah. It’s her name.”

“Obviously.” Skye headed downstairs ahead of me. I followed her into the kitchen. Everyone else was already there, pouring coffee and putting plates together from the pans on the stove.

“Grab plates,” Coulson said. “Eat as much as you like.”

I waited until Skye had gotten her food before taking about half a pound of bacon and then some eggs and toast.

“That’s a heart attack waiting to happen,” Ward remarked.

“I metabolize food faster than normal people and I don’t care.” I stuffed bacon in my mouth, grabbed a glass of orange juice and took a seat at the kitchen table where I could see the basement door. You know, keep an eye on it. Otherwise I got a prickling feeling at the back of my neck.

“Situational awareness,” Ward said.

I looked up at him. “Eh?”

“You—you looked around the room and then picked the seat where you could see all the exits.” Ward blinked. “Just a bit odd for—a kid.”

“I spent fourteen years in a bunker being trained to be a soldier.” I ate another piece of bacon. “It was during the Cold War, paranoia was practically spoon fed.”

Ward raised his eyebrows, making an understanding sort of face. “Oh.”

“It must be so strange, entering the world and it’s nothing like the world they told you about,” Simmons remarked. “Technological advances alone…”

“It’s okay. I learn fast.” I shrugged. “The Cold War being over was kind of surprising. What are we doing? I mean, while we’re here?”

“Oh, Mr. Stark sent over your lesson plans,” Simmons said. “Fitz and I will keep you up to date there. Agent May has kindly offered to continue your combat training and if you’d like some lessons in computers, Skye would be happy to help.”

“Okay.” Being busy was better, I suppose, than not being busy. I did enjoy learning. “That’s fine.”

“I am curious,” Fitz added.

“Yeah?”

“Did you really hack Mr. Stark’s elevator with a fork?”

“Yes.” I shrugged. “It wasn’t that hard. Elevator systems usually lock people out of going up, not down.”

“Fair,” Fitz nodded. “I have some mechanical engineering lessons we could go through, if you like. Build some robots?”

“That would be cool.”

“Great.”

Okay, maybe this week would be interesting.

***

Simmons was a very patient teacher, I discovered. More patient than Tony, about the same as Bruce. We got into some chemistry, then physics and then Skye taught me how to hack into a secured network. All in all, a productive morning. After lunch though, May and I went outside for combat training. I was sure, from the way she walked, that she was a perfectly capable combatant, I was still a little concerned I might hurt her.

“You can’t be hesitant,” May said. “I want you to come at me with everything you’ve got. I need to assess where you are before I can develop a lesson plan.”

“Sure.” I’d changed into what Natasha referred to as “yoga pants”. They were comfortable and the didn’t get in my way, that was the important thing. I put my hair back in a bun and checked my shoelaces. “Natasha says I’m a bit…old school.”

“Well, if you were learning skills from soldiers in the 1960’s, that doesn’t shock me.” May flashed a small smile. “If you’re ready, come at me.”

I had this strange feeling I was going to regret this at some point.

Well, I did regret it, about five minutes later. She was definitely as good as Natasha. She had a different fighting style, and she moved fast. My brute strength tactics didn’t really work. Which, fine, I could go for finesse. But I’d been trained in boxing mostly, and only recently had Natasha been showing me new stuff.

Finally though, May called a break. I got water.

“You’re not bad,” May said. “But I think you need more flexibility it your fighting techniques. Romanoff’s been working with you?”

“Yeah, and Dad.” I blinked. I just called Steve Dad to someone else. Okay. Moving on. “He does…parkour?”

“Yes, that’s a thing.” May smiled. “When was the last time someone beat you outright in a match?”

“Thor, last week. But he’s stronger than me. Before that? It’d been awhile. I think I was eleven.”

“Ah.” She nodded. “Do you think you’re invincible?”

I snorted. “No. I know I’m not. Thor proved that.”

“He’s very strong.”

“Yeah, but he even doesn’t completely rely on strength. I know I need to be more flexible.”

“Okay, so we’ll work on that the next. Let’s do some tumbling exercises.”

I nodded, finished my water and did a few stretches. I’d done gymnastics too, but it had never been my strong suit. Thomas had been better than me. I was a better shot though. So go me.

Go me.

***

“I’m curious,” Skye started, “they know who your dad is, but what about your mother?”

“Well, she’s probably, you know, dead. So there’s that.”

“Still, it is the other half of your genetic code,” Simmons said. “It couldn’t hurt to run a comparison of your DNA against what we have in our database.”

“I mean, you can do what you want—”

“Great!” Simmons began tapping away at her tablet.

Yeah, I was probably going to regret that. “Meanwhile, Natasha is concerned I don’t get pop culture references. Let’s watch TV.”

“Cool.” Skye nodded. “I’m thinking…Phineas and Ferb. You need a good foundation of cartoons. Then we’ll go back and hit the classics. Rugrats, Wild Thornberry’s.”

“Sure.” I had no idea what she was talking about, which was precisely the problem.

“Oh my word,” Simmons exclaimed.

Skye and I turned toward her at nearly the same time. “What?” I asked.

“I found a maternal match.”

“Okay, and?” I raised my eyebrows.

Simmons turned the tablet around.

My jaw dropped. “That’s not possible—I mean, it’s just not possible. She’s—she’s not old enough.”

“Well, you see, she’s somewhat older than she appears. The Black Widow was part of an experimental research project that slowed her aging. There also may have been some time spent in a cryogenic chamber.”

_They reached out to all sorts of people. Including a Russian ballerina who defected._

 That’s what Natasha had said.

She knew. She had to know. Maybe she didn’t want Steve to know? Would that make it weird? It might make it weird.

“That’s—is awesome. I mean, your dad is Captain America, so that’s awesome but Black Widow?” Skye shook her head.

“It’s just genetics,” I replied. “I mean…genetics don’t make a family or anything.”

“That’s true,” Skye admitted. “I found a family all on my own.” She nudged Simmons with her shoulder, flashing a smile.

Simmons smiled back.

“She probably knows,” I said. “Natasha.”

“You think so?” Simmons asked.

“I think she’s smart. Really smart.” And she hinted at it. “So she’s like—how old?”

“It’s not polite to ask a lady her age,” Coulson said. “And yes, Natasha certainly knows already and we should keep it under our hats.”

“Of course, sir,” Simmons replied. “Not a problem.”

Skye nodded eagerly. “You’ve got it, AC.”

Yeah, I was definitely getting used to the whole “life turned upside down” moments. Aliens were weirder than the other half my genetic code coming from Natasha.

“I’m gonna—go call my dad.” I stood up. “Yell when dinner is ready.”

I hurried up stairs and headed into my room, closing the door firmly behind me and plopping down on the bed.

“Jarvis?”

“Yes, Miss Lucy?”

“Is Natasha available to talk?” I stared down at the phone.

“One moment please.” A bit of music played, before Jarvis returned. “Miss Romanoff is currently unavailable, would you like to leave a message?”

“Um. Yes.”

“Go ahead, Miss Lucy.”

“Hey, Nat. I sort of found out you’re my mom? We should talk. Thanks.”

“Is that the end of your message?”

“Yes, Jarvis. Thank you.”

“Very good. Will there be anything else?”

“No, thank you Jarvis.”

Now I just had to wait.

***

Lessons. Lessons. More lessons. And I waited. Lessons. And I waited.

Finally, on the fifth day, my phone rang.

“Hey kid,” Natasha said. “So, you know.”

“Yeah.”

“You figured I knew too.”

“Yeah.”

She sighed. “I figured you were dealing with enough already, you didn’t need to wrap your head around this too. Russia was trying to infiltrate the program and they asked me to volunteer, not realizing the set up. So I did. I never—I never knew for certain what happened. If a child had even survived with my DNA. But then I saw you. I saw your eyes. I guessed.”

“It’s not—I mean you know I won’t…I like having you as my friend. It’s okay if it’s not more than that.”

“And it’s okay if you do want more than that,” she replied softly. “I don’t know if I’ll be good at it, but if you want a mom, I’ll try.”

I swallowed. “Oh.”

“I know you’re a tough kid, but I also know you play tough when you don’t have to. If nature does surpass nurture, I’d say I’ve got a good idea where that came from, kiska.”

_Kitten._ I flushed. “Does Steve know?”

“No. I was planning to tell him after I told you.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” She paused. “We’ll back in a couple days. You going to be okay?”

“Yeah.” I was totally going to be okay.

“Okay.”

Yeah. Okay.

***

I had decided that I liked Skye and Simmons, I was on the fence about Fitz. Ward was definitely, probably, a robot but Coulson seemed cool. But above all them, I was placing Melinda May on a pedestal of awesomeness. She still kind of kicked my ass, but by the end of the week I at least didn’t feel quite so useless about it. We all piled back into the SUV and began the drive to the airport.

“Are you excited to be getting back to Avengers Tower?” Simmons asked.

I shrugged. “It’s nice, I don’t get outside a lot though. Safety and stuff.”

“Captain Rogers is very protective,” Coulson said.

“Yes,” I nodded. “It’s not so bad.” At least he cared.

I wanted the drive to be over. I wanted the flight to be over. I wanted—I wanted to see that everyone was okay. I wanted to see that my dad was okay. I still didn’t know what the mission had been about. I didn’t know if anyone had been hurt. Jarvis had assured me everyone was all right, but I wanted to see them.

I couldn’t help jumping my leg up and down. I paced during the flight. I didn’t know where this panic was coming from. Okay, maybe I did. I had a nightmare. I’d arrived back at the Tower and everyone was gone. Vanished. I couldn’t find them. And I hadn’t wanted to bother Steve with another nightmare. Jarvis had gone through his spiel when I woke up, it’d helped a little.

Still. I wanted to see them.

The minute the plane landed I was headed down the ramp, bag slung over my shoulder.

“Don’t run!” Coulson shouted after me. “You’ll hurt yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I slowed a touch but slipped past the vehicles on the ramp, jumping off the end before it had fulling touched down on the tarmac. Dad was waiting there with Natasha.

“Hey, darling,” he smiled. “Eager to get home?”

I threw my arms around him. “I missed you.”

He hugged me back. “I missed you too.” He squeezed a bit before pulling back. “Jarvis says you had a nightmare.”

“Jarvis is a tattletale.” I frowned.

“Uh huh.” He shifted, wrapping one around my shoulders and pulling me toward his side. “Hey Coulson. Thanks for keeping an eye on my girl.”

“No problem, Captain. She was better behaved than some of my agents.” Coulson didn’t _look_ at Skye, but I was pretty sure that was who he was talking about.

“Glad to hear it.”

“Well, we should get going.” Coulson shrugged. “The life of a SHIELD agent never rests.”

“I think you mixed your metaphor there,” Natasha said. “You got a mission?”

“Well I’ve got a grumpy one-eyed man demanding I get to Argentina, so yeah.” Coulson smiled. “It was nice meeting you Lucy.”

“And you, Agent Coulson.” I waved. “Don’t get yourself killed.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Come on, let’s get you some lunch,” Natasha said.

“Okay.” I let Dad walk me back to the waiting helicopter we were apparently taking to the Tower. “So, you going to tell me about this mission you were on?”

“A little,” he replied. “Not a lot.”

“Well, a little is more than nothing.” I wrinkled my nose.

“Natasha told me, about the DNA thing.”

“Oh. So now you know where I get my charm and vigor.”

Natasha snorted. “You’re going to break hearts, kiska.”

“Not for like, thirty years,” Dad replied. “You want to set up permanent wake-up procedures with Jarvis, darling?”

“I probably should.”

“We all have them, nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Okay.” I nodded. “We can do that then.”

“Peter is waiting back at the Tower for you,” Steve remarked. “He got a new video game he thinks you’ll like.”

“Cool.”

“We got all the paperwork back for your cover. There are going to be some stories. Photographers might try to snap pictures of you,” Natasha said. “Hence the helicopter.”

“Oh.”

“We’re going to test the cover for the next week or so, then we’ll head to the facility upstate. But after a few months, if it holds, Tony thinks he can get you into Peter’s high school. You know, for socialization.” Natasha glanced at me. “It’s been suggested that socialization is important.”

I shook my head. “So…I’d get a chance at being normal?”

“Yeah.” Steve nodded. “Talk to kids your age. Make friends.”

“I suppose that wouldn’t be so bad. Peter goes to a high school?”

“Midtown Science, it’s a STEM school. Science, technology, you know. For kids that need something extra to do.”

“Cool.”

“Very cool.” Steve smiled.

School. Normal. Jarvis having a preset routine for me when I had nightmares.

High school and me. That was never an equation I saw coming.

Not in a million years.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy tries high school and a new Asgardian ends up at Avengers Tower.
> 
>  
> 
> *12/4 - I went through and edited this chapter, because finishing and posting a chapter at 3 am really doesn't bode well for keeping typos at bay.

_A few months later_

“Do you have your lunch?” Dad asked.

“Yes.” I slung my backpack on. Tony bought it for me, so of course it was Captain America themed.

“And your books? Your notebooks? Pens?”

“ _Dad_. I have everything I packed last night—and I checked it four times.” I gave him a look. “I’m good.”

“Okay.” He held up his hands in defeat. “Happy, you set to drive the kids to school?”

“Oh yeah.” Happy nodded, looking down at his watch. “Where’s Peter?”

“Here!” Peter skidded to a stop just in front of me. “Sorry, I had to grab a thing.”

“Well, let’s go,” Happy gestured. “Tony will kill me if you’re late.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Don’t forget your cover, darling,” Dad said.

“I won’t.”

He grabbed the back of my bookbag before I could take off, gently tugging me back for a hug. “I’ll see you later.”

I wriggled away, but gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Later, Dad.”

I hurried into the elevator with Peter and Happy, giving him a little wave before the doors closed.

“Don’t worry,” Peter said. “I’ll introduce you to my friends, it’ll be fine.”

“I’m not worried, I know how to infiltrate.”

Peter sighed. “This isn’t infiltration, it’s high school, Lucy.”

“You say tomato—”

“You aren’t armed, are you?” Happy asked.

“No.” I frowned. “Tony took that metal detector wand to me during breakfast, took my knives.” And Clint had swiped the ceramic one. Traitor.

“Thank god.”

Yeah. Thank god.

***

Peter helped me find my first classroom, though we weren’t in the same class. I’d tested into some senior level classes and some junior level classes, so they tossed me in as a junior. I’d have a couple classes with Peter, I think Tony’d had something to do with that.

It being the first day of the new year, I was hoping to blend in a bit. Of course, blending in as a five foot nine, nearly fifteen-year-old with an absurdly symmetrical face was a little hard. And I had recently begun to get breasts. They were annoying and pointless.

“Hey. You’re Peter’s friend. Right?”

I glanced over at the girl next to me. She looked familiar. “Yeah. You’re Peter’s friend too, right?”

“MJ.”

“Lucy.” I nodded.

“All right kids, welcome back to Midtown Science! I’m Mr. Tailor and I’ll be your homeroom teacher this year. I’m sure we’re going to have a great time.”

MJ sighed.

“We have a brand-new student joining the junior class. Miss Rogers?”

I blinked. “Um. Yes?”

“Would you care to stand, tell us a little about yourself?”

“Not really.”

MJ bit her lip.

“Come on, don’t be shy.” Mr. Tailor waved at me.

I hate my life.

I stood. “Hi. My name is Lucy. I like science.”

“Do you have any hobbies, Lucy?” Mr. Tailor asked.

“I like going to the shooting range.” I looked him in the eyes. My glare had gotten better over the summer, Nat had been helping.

“Okay.”

I smiled and sat back down. Dad liked to say I was all Nat when I smiled, I was okay with that. She smiled like she was about to murder, it was intimidating.

“I think I might like you,” MJ said.

I nodded. “I might like you too.”

***

By lunch, the general rumor that I was the adopted child of _Steve Rogers_ had gotten around. Which, fine, that was my cover and all. I was flocked by super-hero groupies, but kept them at bay by sitting with Peter, MJ and Peter’s strange friend Ned.

“So, you live in Avengers Tower?” Ned asked.

“Yeah.” I took out my sandwich. Ooh, chicken with homemade pesto and mozzarella. Dad must have made it. I unwrapped it and took a bite. Yeah, Dad definitely made it.

“Steve made that, didn’t he?” Peter asked.

I nodded.

Peter groaned. “He makes the best sandwiches.”

“Yup. And it’s all mine.”

“Captain America made your sandwich.” Ned shook his head. “That’s insane.”

“He’s my dad,” I replied.

“Right. So, it must have been weird, being adopted by Captain America.”

I shrugged and took a big bite of my sandwich.

***

“How was school?” Dad asked. “You make friends?”

“Peter’s friend MJ is cool. She thinks I should join robotics club with her.”

“That would be cool.” He took my lunch box. “You want to?”

“Well, I already build robots with Peter.” I shrugged and set my backpack aside. “It would be fun.”

“You have homework?”

“I did it in the car.” I hopped on a stool next to the kitchen counter. “I know it’ll look weird, me eating a whole turkey at school, but I’m _hungry_.”

He smiled. “We’ll rework for tomorrow. Tony’s been working on a nutrient bar. I eat them sometimes, the taste still isn’t great.”

I wrinkled my nose.

“Yeah, I know.” He opened the fridge and pulled out a plate of sandwiches, setting them on the counter in front of me. “Here you go, darling. You want water, milk?”

“Water please. Thanks.” I grabbed the first sandwich.

“Nat and Clint are coming back tonight, I think Clint said something about bringing a cake.”

“What for?”

“Congratulations, you didn’t hit anyone on your first day of school, was what Clint said.” Dad smiled and set a bottle of water next to me.

“Who would I fight with on my first day?”

He shrugged.

“Little warrior!” Thor boomed. “You have returned.”

I twisted in my seat and smiled. “Uncle Thor! I thought you were still in Asgard.”

“I returned for your first day.” He gave me a hug. “And I’ve something to discuss with my compatriots.”

“I’m glad you’re here. There’s going to be cake.”

“Wonderful.” He pulled back. “I will see you this evening when Barton and Romanoff return.”

“Sure.”

“Eat your snack,” Dad said.

Like I needed to be reminded.

***

It was my third day of school, and I was introduced to a class I didn’t realize would be a problem.

Gym.

“We’re going to watch this video, and then we’ll start,” Coach Wilson said.

Thirty seconds later I groaned and dropped my face into my hands. _No._

“Hi kids, I’m Captain America—”

I knew Dad had _done_ some PSA’s, but this was just…ridiculous. Finally, the nightmare was over.

“All right, today we’re climbing ropes,” Wilson said. “Sit ups. Laps. Let’s move.”

I sighed. Yeah, this was torture. I hopped down the bleacher steps and got into line to climb the damn rope. It wasn’t all that hard. I tried to, you know, make it look like it was something of a strain. I was going to have to talk to Tony about this. Getting me out of it, somehow.

I rang the stupid bell and climbed back down.

“Rogers, head to station two!” Wilson shouted.

I waved in acknowledgement. I was just walking over to the mats for sit-ups. It was totally normal. My sneaker squeaked against the floor, and I tripped, catching myself on my hands. And then I wasn’t in the gym. I could smell floor polish and sweat and I wasn’t in the gym.

I was in my head. I knew that. I wasn’t really—I wasn’t in the bunker. I knew that. I took a deep breath and pushed myself off the floor. “I’m at school,” I whispered. “In gym class. I’m safe.” I took another breath. I could still taste adrenaline, but I hadn’t freaked out, so I was calling that a win.

But my heart was still racing. I thought I smelled blood.

“Coach, I need to be excused,” I called.

“Rogers?”

“Female problem.”

“Uh—sure.”

“Thanks!” I rushed to the bleachers, grabbing my bag and then ran for the bathroom. I pulled out my phone. “Jarvis.”

“Yes, Miss Lucy?”

“Panic protocol.”

“Of course.”

I put my headphones on, locked myself in a bathroom stall and sat on the top of the tank. I hated needing this. It was just Dad’s voice, mostly, reading _The Blue Sword_ aloud. It was calming.

I took another breath.

I’m okay. I’m okay. I’m okay.

I’m okay.

***

Dad was in the car when Happy picked me up. “Hey, I have ice cream.” He held up a white bag.

I tried to frown, but didn’t quite manage it. “Jarvis?”

“Obviously.”

I got in the car and took the bag. He pulled me closer, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

“I called your therapist too, darling. You want to talk about it?”

I shook my head, opening the bag and retrieving the pint of rocky road he’d bought me—there was also a spoon. “You’re awesome.”

“I know.” He rubbed my shoulder.

“Gym class is pointless.” I dug into my ice cream. “Seriously.”

“For you? Definitely.” He shook his head. “We’ll get you out of it. Tony should’ve done that from the start.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Have a panic attack, get out of gym class. Yay.

***

I sparred with Nat after school on Thursday, which was way better than gym class.

“You and Clint getting anywhere on the search for my brother?” I asked, toweling sweat off my face.

“We keep hitting dead ends,” she replied. “I know that’s not what you want to hear, it’s not what I’d want to hear either. He was cryogenically frozen, we know that. He was transferred to another lab out in California and then—poof. We thought we’d picked up the trail again, but we can’t verify anything.”

I sighed. “He could still be out there though, somewhere.”

“Yeah.” Nat glanced at me. “He could be out there. I gave some of our files to Coulson’s team, sometimes he has better luck with these kind of searches.”

“Okay.” I finished my water bottle.

“You liking school?”

“It’s been four days.”

“Still, impressions?”

“MJ is cool. Peter is helping. His friend Ned is weird. I’m joining robotics club. Oh, and there’s this guy named Flash who gives Peter a hard time. I tripped him in the hall.”

Nat snorted. “Of course you did.”

“My homeroom teacher might be afraid of me and I’m not sure if the whole _social_ aspect is as important as my therapist does.”

“Well, she is trained as a therapist, so I’d listen.” Nat gave me a one-armed hug. “Come on, showers, and then you can eat a whole pizza.”

“Cool.”

***

Saturday morning, I walked into the common area, expecting Clint maybe. Sometimes Thor was up this early. What I was _not_ expecting was a pale teenager with pitch black hair, a foul expression, and strange clothes.

“Who the hell are you?”

He opened his mouth, and Thor suddenly rushed in.

“Lucy, I had not realized you were up. May I introduce my brother, Loki.”

“Um…” I frowned. “I thought he was—an adult?” I raised my eyebrow.

“He was. There was…an incident. Now he is not, an adult. This is one of the reasons I had to go to Asgard.”

“Oh.”

“So you’re Captain America’s daughter,” Loki said. “You certainly look like him.”

“Thanks.” I frowned. “I’m gonna make breakfast, Thor. Is your brother still, like, evil? Nat said he was evil.”

“He’s mildly less evil. We’re working on it.”

Loki rolled his eyes.

“You want eggs?” I glanced at Loki. “I can make eggs.”

He blinked. “Um. Sure.”

“Great.” I smiled and hit the fridge. I’d need to make enough for me, three times over, I knew how Thor ate—I was going to assume a teenaged Asgardian ate the same way I did.

“How was your first week of school?” Thor asked.

“Oh fine.” I set the eggs on the counter and grabbed a skillet. “Making friends.”

“That is very good.”

“I think there’s some bacon in the fridge if you want it,” I replied. “Could you make toast?”

“Of course.” Thor nodded.

Loki leaned against the counter, and I could feel him watching me as I cracked eggs into the skillet and set the flame on the stove top to low.

“How old are you?” he asked.

“I turn fifteen this year.”

“That’s quite young, yes?”

“Relatively speaking.” I shrugged. “I’ve never seen age as an indicator of anything.” I glanced at him. “How did you get turned into a kid anyhow?”

“I upset a very powerful spirit being.” Loki shrugged.

“That’s putting it mildly.” Thor set the bacon next to me and grabbed another skillet.

This was by far, one of my stranger mornings, and I’d once walked in on Tony dragging a rabbit the size of a couch through the hallway. I hadn’t asked, he hadn’t said anything, and we never talked about it. So that was normal.

“I see you’ve met Loki,” Dad walked in. “Making breakfast?”

“You want some?” I asked.

“We’ll need another carton of eggs.”

“I’m pretty sure there’s one in the fridge.”

Yeah, the rabbit thing was weirder than this.

***

I’d spent the last two months trying to adjust to the whole Loki situation. He was kind of an asshole, but I lived with Tony Stark, so I was used to assholes. Tony had his loveable side though, I wasn’t sure yet if Loki did.

School though, that was going better. MJ was cool. Robotics club was cool. And I didn’t have gym class anymore.

“I can’t believe Tony got you out of gym,” Peter shook his head as we walked to one of our two classes we had together. In this case, calculus. “He didn’t get me out of gym.”

I shrugged. “You don’t have panic attacks in gym class.”

“Fair.” He stopped in the middle of the hall. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” But then I heard it. A sharp pop. A sharp, _familiar_ pop. “That’s a gun shot.” I looked at Peter. Another pop. “This is bad.”

He nodded. “Should we call it in?”

“We should know what we’re dealing with first, right?” I pulled out my phone anyhow though, just in case.

“That’s fair. Let’s take a look.”

We dropped our bags and headed toward the sound. We crossed in front of the doors out to the side of the building—and then were shoved inward. Men, in ski masks and carrying guns. Three of them.

I glanced at Peter. He shook his head.

“Don’t run,” one guy snapped. “Don’t scream. Just do as we say and you won’t get hurt.”

Okay, so now we needed to call it in. I swallowed and tapped the panic button on the side of my phone.

“Drop your phones.”

I dropped it and Peter followed suit.

“Hands up.”

This really sucked.

***

They gathered us all in the auditorium. I could tell Peter was counting bad guys, just like I was. I was up to twenty. I wasn’t sure why they were here though. It was a high school, what the hell could a bunch of armed goons want at a high school?

“Shut up!” One of them shouted at a couple kids who were crying. The teachers were separated from us, off on the other side of the auditorium.

I jiggled my leg. MJ raised an eyebrow at me and then looked at Peter. She pulled a pencil out and drew a little spider on the bench between us and then looked at Peter.

He frowned and pointed at his face.

Yeah, that was an issue. Besides, help was coming. If we had time for help to come. Help might need help. I bit my lip and looked Peter in the eye. _Distraction_. I mouthed.

He shook his head.

_Yes._

He rolled his eyes. _Steve will kill me._ He mouthed back.

_Not if they do first._

MJ looked at me, and then Peter, and rolled her eyes. _I got this._ She pulled a ball out of her bag, and with wicked precision, chucked it at Ned’s head.

There was a predictable amount of chaos and I climbed into the vents. I needed to know what these guys were up to and I needed a phone.

And I probably needed to get Peter’s backpack. If he had his suit, a lot of this would be easier.

Or I’d get shot, Dad would be pissed and all of this would go to hell.

Yes, high school. Safe. Normal.

Totally.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy puts her training to good use. 
> 
> *some canon typical violence.

I dropped out of the vents and headed toward the spot Peter and I had been when we stashed our bags. I had to duck into a bathroom as another armed goon walked by. I listened, waiting until he was gone before heading back out to check Peter’s backpack. _No suit._ What the hell, Peter? Usually he wore it under his clothes. If it wasn’t in his bag…had he left it at the tower? God, I was so giving him hell later.

I ran for the chemistry lab, locking myself inside. I took a breath and grabbed my emergency phone out of my bag and dialed.

“Lucy?” Dad picked up immediately. “We got the panic button, where are you now?”

“Safe. Hiding in the chem lab. Most of the kids and the teachers are in the gym. There are at least ten gunmen there, another dozen in the halls, maybe? I haven’t been able to get a count—Peter doesn’t have his suit.”

“I know. Tony was fixing something on it last night. You sit tight, okay? We’ll come in and get you.”

“Okay.”

“I mean it, Lucy. You stay put.”

“Yes, Dad.” I rolled my eyes. “Don’t worry.”

“I’ll see you soon. Remind me to get you an earpiece.”

“Will do.” I didn’t hang up, shoving the phone into my pocket and hunkering under a lab table. I wasn’t planning on thrilling heroics. If Dad was close by, he’d have the whole crew with him.

A loud bang—a door slamming against a wall—was followed by a scream. Not every student had been gathered in the gym. I swallowed. They were probably hiding in classrooms. Were these assholes looking for someone specific? I mean, I could almost understand if they were here because of me. I was high profile. Peter too, if you paid attention to who came in and out of the tower.

Maybe I should have paid better attention to the class rosters.

There was another scream, and a gunshot. _Dammit._ Okay, yeah, I was breaking my word. I slid out from under the table and looked around—eyes landing on the chemical cabinet. _Okay._ I mixed what I needed quickly in a beaker and hurried to the door, unlocking it and peering out. One of the armed goons was there, and a girl I thought was a freshman was in his grip. She was bleeding.

Yeah, that wasn’t okay. I pulled my shirt up over my mouth and nose and tossed the beaker. My smoke bomb went off immediately and I rushed forward. I kicked the back of the goon’s knee out, sending him down and then wrapped my arm around his neck. I kept a tight hold until he collapsed and then was quick to disarm him. I tied his hands with his belt and his legs with a strap from his rifle, shoving him in the closest closet.

I grabbed the girl and pulled her down the hall to the chemistry lab.

“Are you okay?” I asked, looking her over. It looked like she’d been grazed. “It’s going to be okay.” I pulled the first-aid kit off the wall and sat her down.

She nodded. “I—I’m okay.”

“I’m going to bandage that, and then you’re going to stay here, quiet. Okay?”

“There are six more kids in the computer lab,” she replied. “What if they find them?”

I sighed. “I’ll check on them.” I wiped the injury with an alcohol swab and put a gauze pad over before taping it on.

“You’re good at that.”

“Girl Scouts.” I looked up at her. “Stay here, stay quiet. Help is coming.”

“Okay.”

Yeah, she was terrified. I couldn’t blame her. “Just breathe, okay? You’re going to be okay.” I squeezed her knee and hurried to check the hall. I had the guy’s guns. His radio. I could hear their movements now.

“There are still kids missing,” came over the radio. “I want them all in the gym, _now_.”

“Yes, sir.” Came back. “We’ve got another hall of classrooms to check.”

“Hurry up! I want this done so we can get the job done.”

Well, that was interesting. I locked the door to the chem lab behind me and stalked down to the computer lab. The door was unlocked. That wasn’t a good sign. I pushed it open, padding inside and closing the door behind me.

“Anybody here?” I whispered.

“Lucy?” Ned peered out. “You have guns.”

“Sh! Yeah, I have guns.” I locked the door and headed toward the back. “Do you know if there are other kids out in class rooms?”

“Some.” Ned exhaled. “I called the cops.”

“I called the Avengers.”

“Cool. I hacked the cameras, you want to look?”

“Sure.” I slid behind the computer station he was using, eyeing the feed. I pulled my phone out. “Dad, are you still there?”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“I’ve got camera feeds I can forward to Tony.”

“From the chem lab?”

“I was forced to move.” That was going to demand an explanation later. “Let Tony know I’m forwarding it to Jarvis.”

“Will do. Stay put in the—?”

I took a breath. “Computer lab.”

“ _Stay put._ ”

“Right.” I set my phone down and took the keyboard, quickly letting Jarvis have access to the feeds. Which was when I spotted a group of kids at the end of one hall, trying to get out a pair of doors—locked by the look of it.

The guys with guns were coming after them.

I had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t think, I dropped the guns, handed Ned the radio and started for the door.

“Did your dad tell you to stay here?” Ned asked.

“Yup.”

“You’re gonna go help them though.”

“Yup.” I glanced at him and leaned close. “You know Peter’s secret,” I said softly. The other kids were hunkered down, concentrating on themselves and not us.

“Yeah?”

“Well, I wasn’t adopted.” I took a breath. “Lock the door behind me.”

“Okay.” He nodded sharply.

Yeah. I was so grounded after this. I slipped out, listening for the door’s lock before heading down the hall. I ran for the hall, approaching the bad guys from behind. Their guns were pointed at the kids. I knew, I knew I’d be blowing my cover in an instant. I didn’t have a mask. I didn’t care.

A pair of shots went off, and someone screamed. I saw blood.

Without blinking, I tackled my first target, wresting the gun away from him and bashing him over the head. I didn’t care how hard I hit him. I hopped back and shot him in the leg, turning the gun on his friend. “Back off.”

“ _You_ ,” the guy said. “You’re the one they want.”

“Shocking.” I shot him in the leg too, grabbing his gun too and heading for the doors and kicked them open. “Go!”

The kids stared at me a moment and then ran out. I set about dismantling the weapons as quickly as possible.

There was a loud pop from behind me. My torso, my hip, went cold. There was blood. _Oh shit._

I turned, spotting the newcomer. He looked different from the others. _In charge._

“You must be Lucy.” He smiled. “I’ve got someone willing to pay a lot of money for you.”

“Well, this plan of yours was pretty stupid then. Why didn’t you just grab me off the street?”

“They never leave you on the street,” he replied. He cocked the hammer back and pointed the gun at me. “Now, why don’t you come quiet, or I’ll shoot every hostage in the gym.”

I swallowed.

“You might want to rethink that plan.”

_Nat._

An arrow in the shoulder set the guy’s gun flying from his hand.

“Come on,” Nat said. “Outside, Lucy.”

I nodded.

Clint was there too, pulling me outside while Nat headed inside. “The others are breaching now, kid. Don’t worry. Everyone will be okay.” He glanced at my bullet wound. “Let’s get that taken care of.”

“I don’t really feel it.”

“Yeah, that’s the shock.” He kept a hand on my shoulder, moving me toward a car. “Happy is going to take you back to the tower infirmary. Okay? Don’t fight him.”

I nodded. “Sorry—I was afraid they’d kill those kids.”

“I know.” He squeezed my shoulder and got me in the car. “Happy, get her there fast. She’s bleeding.”

“Got it.” Happy took off the second I had my seatbelt on. Maybe the whole getting shot thing would give me a break from scolding.

Yeah, no, I was definitely getting a full-on Steve Roger’s scolding. And grounding.

But at least those kids were safe.

But I knew something else too. This was my last day of high school.

And I was kind of going to miss it.

***

“Hey,” Nat stood in the doorway of my bedroom, where Dr. Cho had insisted I relax. “How’s the gunshot?”

“Not bad. Those painkillers Dr. Cho developed are really working. Everything is kind of…floaty.”

She smiled. “Good. You’ll heal quick though. It was a clean shot.”

“Yeah.” I sighed. “They were there for me, Nat. The boss man. The one that shot me? He told me. They were there for me. Other kids got hurt. Cause of me.”

Nat frowned and quickly joined me on the bed, sidling up next to me and pulling me closer so my head rested on her shoulder. “Nope. It’s not your fault. They shouldn’t—they should’ve have known who you were. Somebody…somebody leaked something. It’s not your fault.”

I felt my lip tremble and the tears started soon after. “Why won’t they just stop? I just want to be normal. Why can’t I have that? It’s not fair.”

“I know,” Nat pet my hair. “I know, baby.”

I closed my eyes. “Did anybody die?”

“No, nobody died. Couple injuries, but we scooped those mercenaries and we’ll question them, find out who sent them.”

“Okay.”

“You were very brave, Lucy. You were so brave.”

“Dad’s gonna be so mad. I didn’t—I should’ve stayed in the chem lab.”

“I talked to the kids you saved. You did the right thing.” Nat kept stroking my hair. It felt so nice. She smelled good—comforting. Safe. “You did. He’s proud of you. You scared him a bit, but he’s proud of you. I’m proud of you.”

I nodded a little. “Okay.”

“Go to sleep, kiska. I’ll be right here.”

Unspoken was _you’ll be safe._ But I knew she meant that too.

***

I woke up to the soft sounds of Nat talking to Dad.

“What’s going on?”

“Hey,” Dad sat on the end of my bed. “Dr. Cho mentioned you might be in and out a bit from the pills.”

“Little bit,” I admitted.

“You did good work, darling. Even if you did exactly the opposite of what I told you to.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” He smiled. “I’d have done the same thing.”

“Can’t go back to school though. Can I?”

He shook his head. “No. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

I nodded. “Back to being a princess in a tower. Eh?”

“I don’t want that for you.” He put a hand on my knee, squeezing. “We’ll figure something out.”

“Yeah.”

“Peter’s here. He wants to make sure you’re okay.”

“Okay.” I nodded.

“Peter,” Nat called.

He rushed in a moment later, looking a bit frazzled, but he usually did. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“You okay?”

“I’m on good drugs. The bullet went straight through. I’ll be fine.”

Peter nodded. “The story’s spreading like crazy. It’s all over the school message boards. Facebook. Twitter. You’re famous.”

“Yay.”

“What are you going to do now?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Too early to tell.”

Peter nodded. “You want anything?”

“No, thanks. I think I’m just going to fall asleep again.”

“Yeah.” He bit his lip. “Okay, sleep tight.” He headed off.

“He’s nice.” I blinked, feeling heavy and floaty all at once.

“You sleep, darling,” Dad said. “We can talk about all of this when you’re feeling better.”

“Okay.”

What was there to figure out? I’d had a solid cover. _Somebody leaked something_.

Yeah. I wasn’t going to let that go so easy.

***

My bullet wound was healed just in time for my birthday. I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Birthdays in the bunker hadn’t been anything special. They’d been marked, mostly by a more intensive physical exam.

Clint made pancakes to start the day, with copious amounts of whipped cream.

“Is that chocolate syrup _and_ maple syrup?” Dad asked, eying the stack of pancakes with concern as I began to devour them.

“Yup.” Clint grinned. “You only turn fifteen once, Steve.”

“Try not to give her a heart attack.” Dad shook his head. “Thor’s volunteered to take you flying a little later, Lucy.”

“Really?”

“Yup.”

Okay, that was awesome.

“Then Tony said something about teaching you to drive at the test track. All your friends are coming over tonight. Cake, pizza—presents.”

“Awesome.” I bit my lip. “My first birthday party.”

“It’s going to be _epic_ ,” Clint said, emphasizing his speech with sign language. “Epic.”

I smiled and dove back into my pancakes.

***

It was pretty clear everyone was trying to make my first birthday out of the bunker as amazing as possible, especially after the whole, “my cover got blown” thing. The invited MJ, Peter and Ned over, Loki was off in his room. Thor wasn’t sure his brother could interact with normal kids without being weird. Or a complete jerk.

I couldn’t help noticing though, even though my sugar high, as Nat slipped out to take a call. She came back a few minutes later, a perplexed look on her face.

“What’s up?” I sidled next to her.

“Some weird chatter out of Russia.” She shook her head. “A ghost really. I reached out to some old contacts, hoping to get a trace of Thomas.”

“What kind of ghost?”

“The kind from the past.” She gave me a look that told me that was all I was going to get. “Go back to your part, kiska. Have fun.”

A ghost from the past. There sure were a lot of those to go around in this family.

“Lucy, come play Overwatch!” Peter shouted.

“I’m coming!”

_Have fun._

_I wish Thomas were here._

I just—I just wanted to know he was safe. I wanted to know he was alive.

I wanted to be home.

***

“We’ve been talking about what to do now,” Dad said. “To keep you safe. Thor…Thor has offered to take you to Asgard. For a couple years.”

“ _Years_?”

“Yeah.” He took a breath. “He wants to train you. And you won’t be at risk from Hydra or any other organizations that want you because of who you are.”

“So I’d come back and then what?”

“Tony’s been thinking—Teen Avengers. You and Peter aren’t the only kids around with gifts. And I know you’re going to go into the family business.”

I flushed. “Yeah. It’s in the blood. Protecting people. Saving the world.”

“So you’d train in Asgard with Thor and his crew. See the wonders of the universe. I’d come to visit, as often as I could. It’s not a perfect solution. I know that. But I don’t want to lock you away. That’s not fair to you. I want you to have a life. You can make new friends. Not have to worry about looking over your shoulder.

“Of course, we’ll make up cover stories. Make them chase a shadow of you.”

I took a breath. “So it’s Asgard—or hide.”

“Yeah.” Steve nodded. “At least until we can sort who sent those mercenaries. Who told them about you. But they aren’t talking, and I _will not_ put you at risk again.”

I couldn’t have said what drove me, but I threw my arms around him. “I’ll miss you.” I knew what decision I had to make. There wasn’t a choice.

“I know. I’m going to miss you too.”

But he was right. If I was in Asgard, I wouldn’t be a target. Training with Thor was tempting too. Being on another planet—another galaxy. It was a new adventure.

“It’s not forever,” Dad assured. “I’ll make these bastards pay, and I’ll bring you home. I will.”

“I know, Dad. I know.”

I’d come home. I’d find Thomas. I’d make the people who wanted to treat me like a lab rat pay.

A couple years training with Thor would certainly put me a good position to do that.

Because I wanted to be ready. Really ready.

And, you know, I’d like to not get shot again. Body armor. I was going to need body armor.

A suit.

A name.

Just, not Miss America.


End file.
